


Heated Encounters

by CoffeeComicsGalore



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animal Instincts, Animal Traits, Badass Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Biting, Come Inflation, Cum Inflation, Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, French Kissing, Good Parent Gabriel Agreste, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Humans with Animal Tendencies, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Knotting, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Licking, Love Bites, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, My First Smut, Omega Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Omega Verse, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Chat Noir & Ladybug, Porn With Plot, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Quote: Just a friend (Miraculous Ladybug), Rough Sex, Rutting, Scents & Smells, Sex Toys, Shower Sex, Soul Bond, Soulmates, They are 17, because we love him, but not too much, first heat, hurt the boy, until its not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:00:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 91,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23132071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeComicsGalore/pseuds/CoffeeComicsGalore
Summary: A story in which Adrien discovers that being an Alpha is both a terrible curse and the best thing ever. Especially when Marinette is around. How will he feel when his "just a friend" is possibly something more?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 1091
Kudos: 1957





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta readers @tog84, @quantumchickpea, and @Miraculous_Elcie for reading and fixing my nonsense!

Adrien laid on his bed and focused coursing his energy into stroking his hardened length. His breath hitched as the strokes became faster and harder and the coiled heat became too much to handle. Pulling and tugging his cock until a dribble of precum slipped from his slit, he rubbed the swollen tip and spread the seed along his girth. He hummed as he felt the warmth spread from his belly down to his toes, his body flushed with the heat that needed to be released.

He pumped, quickening his ministrations until his grip on reality shattered into a million pieces, his resolve crumbling as his cum sputtered on him. A moan escaped his lips and his dick twitched in happy delight. Panting, Adrien covered his eyes with the crook of his elbow and waited until his heart rate slowed and his breathing evened out. The lingering feelings of heat dissipated from his flushed skin and left a coolness in its wake.

With his free hand, Adrien grabbed his discarded boxers and wiped his stomach clean of his deposit. He grabbed the blanket and covered himself, waiting for the next wave of heat to hit.

Plagg shouted from his hiding spot high up in the loft. “Is your ritual done yet? This god needs some cheese.”

Adrien removed his arm from his eyes, staring at the kwami’s hideaway with a haunting glare. He sighed with a hum, clearing his throat to chastise the cat for his untimely nuisance. “Whatever, go get it.”

Plagg zipped and rummaged through his stash of cheese that sat idly on the shelf. Adrien laid there, feeling annoyed over the constant buzz from his rut. He knew that becoming an alpha was a high possibility; all the males in his family were strong alphas, but the possibility of being an omega was just as high. His family also had strong bloodlines of omegas, only a few being males. However, just like all pups, Adrien wouldn’t know until he became of age.

From what he was told about his family lineage, both his father and grandfather were fierce alpha leaders that led their packs through issues in the heart of France. His grandfather wore his pride strong in his heart, leading through the war that ravaged through the area back in the 1940s. He protected his family, never allowing the rogue alphas that plagued Paris to come near his pups, his widowed omega mother, or his beloved omega wife.

His father’s stories explained that the rogue alphas didn’t care that mated omegas were claimed. They came in droves, slaughtering the children that the widowed omegas bore, then raping the heated omegas to spread their lineage around. His grandfather was a man who protected his pack, and once the war ended, he continued to protect until his untimely death.

His father was just the same, a fierce alpha that built his fashion empire from the ground up. His stoic nature and murderous glare helped protect his darling omega wife and pup during the ever-present scandals that the paparazzi would create just to slander their name. Adrien had only seen his father use his alpha’s ear-piercing growl once to scare off the paparazzi and get his final point across. The defamation pretty much stopped from there.

Yet, even behind his father’s impassive demeanor hid a kind heart. He took a few more members into his pack when he started this business endeavor and the crazed atmosphere became intense. Nathalie, a fierce beta, and Simon, the mute alpha with a displaced past, were taken in and given proper roles. Simon was to protect Emilie and Adrien while Nathalie took over the alpha role whenever Gabriel was not present.

Despite all of what he knew, being an alpha was far from his thoughts. He had just turned seventeen and had yet to be presented. In his family, the males presented much later, with one member presenting at the age of 20. Some of his classmates had already matured into their roles. Nino and Alya had found out they were betas at 15. Luka was a proud omega – the only one outside of his family that he knew of. Then there was Chloe and Kagami, both presenting themselves as alphas at the age of 13 and 12, respectively.

Then there was Marinette... She was the only one he was close to that had yet to present themselves, and she was one of those special cases. Fierce, focused, and as strong as an alpha. Protective, submissive (in some ways), and full of love that leaned her towards being an omega. Yet, she also had a naturally calm demeanor, was an amazing mediator, and had a take-charge attitude that resembled the traits of a beta. 

In reality, she could be any role and still stand out.

Adrien ran his fingers through his damp hair. Closing his eyes to try to get in a bit of sleep, his mind immediately sought after silky raven hair and dazzling sapphire eyes. He could see the milky skin dotted with faint freckles and pink puckered lips waiting to be devoured. Beautiful curves come into view and a purr vibrated in his chest. The sudden rumble pulled Adrien out of his thoughts and panicked at where his mind was going. Marinette was only a very good friend. Why would his mind go straight to her?

Before he could even put more effort in the thought, the god-awful coil started to pool in his belly again. The only warning he received of its rapid approach was the heat that ran through his body, flushing his skin with another fever like rash. “Plagg,” Adrien said through gritted teeth as he slid his hand down his taut muscles and grasped his already hardened cock.

Plagg didn’t even have to know what his chosen was about to say as he zipped right back up to his hideaway in the loft, mumbling something under his breath before the grunting noises began.

Adrien couldn’t control his ministrations. He pumped and pulled, massaged and stroked, until the coil of nerves was too much to handle and the moans overtook his quiet hums. Focusing on the building pressure, Adrien growled and stroked until the buildup released and he sputtered again. His cock twitched as the remaining seed spilled from his slit and the panting slowed down to normal breaths.

Before long, another wave hit and he grumbled under his breath. He tried to swallow the sensation, hopeful that he could at least hold out another half hour or so before the rash started and the itching began. His throbbing cock overpowered his idea, some seed spilling from his swollen cockhead.

He clenched his teeth and grabbed onto his sheets, throwing his head back onto the pillow as he screwed his eyes shut, but the incessant throbbing fogged his brain and he reached down and pumped hard and quick, resulting in some relief before the coil returned with vengeance.

Growling, Adrien decided that the repeating masturbation was not enough to fool his brain. He got up, fully naked and glistening in both sweat and cum, strutted over to the bathroom attached to the heat room. As he turned the water on and waited for the warmth and steam to fill the air, Adrien leveled his arm against the coolness of the wall and slowly massaged his hard cock.

Continuing the simple and calming ministrations, he slowly walked into the shower and allowed the lukewarm water to hit his back. The soothing feeling from the rain shower head tantalized his heated body. He reluctantly let go of his cock and gathered the loofa that sat on the shelf. He applied a generous amount of the sweet vanilla body wash that he had Nathalie purchase the day before, lathering the loofa until the bubbles seeped through.

He closed his eyes as he massaged his length, stroking his shaft with his free hand in between cleaning himself. He decided to focus on a slow release instead of the quickness he had tried to use all morning, hoping that the slow ministrations will hold him off a little while longer. He leaned his head against the tile, enjoying ministrations until the sweet smell of the body wash tantalized his senses, resulting in elongated canines and a deep purr in his chest.

 _Day two of a newly presented alpha sucks dick,_ he thought.

“Sucking dick...” He said loudly as the stroking suddenly increased. “Her soft lips...” He moaned before dropping the loofa from his hands. Returning to his ministrations under the now hot water, Adrien could feel his heat intensify. The vision of Marinette started to make way into his mind, yet he was too engrossed in his actions to push them away. He could see her kneeling down before him, trailing kisses up his legs with her hands gliding upwards until she reached the patch of golden hair that were now soaked under the shower. He could feel her hands slowly reaching the base of his cock, stroking it slowly before she engulfed it with her warm mouth.

Adrien shuttered at the thought. His breathing hitched then a moan escaped his lips. His stroking continued faster and harder as he envisioned Marinette sucking harder and faster. His panting quickened and he felt the coil tighten until it snapped breaking his resolve until there was nothing left in him. He screamed out her name as his legs gave out and he kneeled onto the floor, breathing heavily until he realized what had just transpired.

Finally feeling relieved of all the pent-up frustrations, Adrien dried himself off and put on a pair of black sweats, letting them hang precariously low on his hips, his toned abs leading to the shapely v on his hips. He plopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to understand what set him off. He breathed in deeply to try to relax, but the slight smell of the vanilla body wash that still lingered on his skin tantalized his senses. Only, there was no heat or coil to throw him over the edge. This time, the smell only reminded him of his unusual request to Nathalie the day before.

* * *

Adrien woke up to the sound of his alarm but felt somewhat different. He soon realized that he wasn’t the same kid from the night before. Sure, changes had started to take place the weeks prior, like the claws on his hands growing sharper and his fangs coming in longer and thicker, but what he didn’t expect was waking up to the pool of sweat surrounding him. His skin was flushed and he felt almost feverish, skin itching for touch. The uncontrollable purrs reverberated against his chest as he yearned for constant ministrations and the only relief he could attain was ones that he did himself, but even that could only go so far.

Basically, the quick changes in his body in a short amount of time (seriously, how many times can someone masturbate before their skin felt raw or feel like it was going to be ripped off?) already started to annoy him, and patience was a virtue that he was seemingly lucky to have.

After realizing that the changes could only mean that he reached maturity as an alpha, he made his way out his bedroom door seeking out his father. He came across Nathalie instead.

“Nathalie? I need to see my father.” He said with a shaky tone and Nathalie knew exactly what was happening.

“I will get him right away. Go back to your room, Adrien. I’ll have the heat room set up and I’ll have your breakfast sent to your room in the meantime.” Nathalie typed something up on her tablet before turning on her heel towards Gabriel’s office.

Adrien nodded at her fleeting form and made his way back onto the bed. Plagg looked over to his chosen and looked at him worriedly. Adrien could see the kwami’s sodden look and stuck his finger out to pet him between his ears.

“Don’t worry about me, Plagg. I just reached maturity. I’m officially an alpha.”

“I know you’ve changed. I sensed it last night when you started shaking uncontrollably – hense the sweat and itch. It’s just...” Plagg looked to the ground as he tried to find the words, “...Chat Noirs are usually omegas or betas since Ladybugs take most of the control. It’s the cat’s natural ability to be submissive towards the bug.”

Adrien furrowed his brows as he contemplated the words. “Ladybug and I have never talked about roles. I don’t even know if she’s reached maturity yet. Would being an alpha really change our dynamic?”

Plagg screwed his lips together before shaking his head. “I don’t know. Probably not. The suits protect your pheromones from being released so the possibility of your dynamics changing for the worst is low. But I’ll have to talk to Tikki about this. I’m going to have to tell her what’s going on and make sure everyone is on the same page.” 

Adrien nodded his head in understanding before footsteps could be heard. Plagg hid to his hiding spot before Gabriel walked in with a smile on his face.

“Adrien, I’ve heard that you have officially reached your maturity.” Gabriel said as he laid a hand to his shoulder. “Congratulations, my son.”

“Woo.” Adrien smirked as he swirled his finger in the air. “This has already been a fun morning. I can only imagine how the rest of the week will be like.”

“It’s only day one. Your hormones are just trying to adjust and your body is trying to catch up.” He sat beside Adrien on the bed. “I remember my first rut. I woke up in sweat and all I wanted was flowers in my room. I had no idea why. Not until I remembered that the girl, your mother, whom I had been courting always smelled of flowers. I assume that you haven’t sought after a mate yet, correct?”

Adrien’s eyes widened. He forgot about that part. “No. No one has caught my eye and no smells have hit me yet. But then again, I am not courting anyone so maybe it won’t bother me this time around?”

“Possibly. Nathalie has started setting up the heat room. We do not need other alphas making their way in here as your pheromones increase as the rut continues. Take the items you want most to the room. You will be there for at least five days, if not longer. First ruts usually last up to the full week, with the last day of your hormones returning to normal. School has been notified and you can request your friends to deliver your homework and notes daily.”

Gabriel stood and walked towards the door. “Take your time this morning. You may feel faint and feverish and random sensations will hit you throughout the next few days. I’ll be in my office, but you can always call me and reach out if you have questions about anything. I will not be leaving the mansion for the next week to keep an eye on you. Certain tendencies tend to come out and having another alpha on hand may help get you in control. But you are also welcome to reach out to your friends if you feel more comfortable with them.”

“Thanks, father. I will let you know.”

The rest of the morning was as he expected, but an unusual feeling hit him after he spent some time in the heat room. He called up Nathalie and requested three things - pain au chocolat, his lucky charm, and a bottle of sweet vanilla body wash.

Adrien was completely unsure of why he needed to have _that_ specific bottle of body wash until the moment he used it when he showered that evening. Just the smell alone relaxed and calmed him down, and his masturbation resulted in a calming evening with no coil in sight.

* * *

Adrien could only hope that the shower masturbation with the help of the body wash would soothe him the same way today. He pulled down his pants slightly, noticing the redness and a touch of soreness on his limp shaft. He scoffed and fixed his pants and readied himself for sleep before a few dings rang loudly in his room.


	2. Chapter 2

“Dude, how are you surviving?” 

“Surviving as best I can.” Adrien miffed. “I know this is my first one, but I’ll tell you this: ruts fucking suck.” 

Nino, Alya, and Marinette all watched with pursed lips as the blonde reached up and rubbed his face with his free hand. The abrupt movement shifted the camera view slightly, letting the group get an angled view of his shirtless bod. 

“Damn, Sunshine!” Alya yelled as she brought her face closer to the phone, nearly knocking Nino off the couch in the process. “It should be illegal to look that good.” 

Startled, Adrien groaned as he fixed the camera back towards his face, his cheeks burned with a crimson color from the embarrassment. At that same moment, Marinette “accidentally” dropped her phone while letting out a squeak, using the few seconds of fumbling to try and cool the warmth that had reached her face. 

“Uh, Marinette? You okay there?” Adrien questioned. 

“Yup! Yeah. Never better!” She picked up her phone as she chuckled awkwardly at her friends. “I thought I saw a spider and it scared the ever-living crap out of me.” 

“Yuck. Spiders!” Alya cried out. “Did you kill it?” 

“No. It was actually a piece... of… string! Yeah, string.” She smacked her face with her hand and groaned. She opted to revert the conversation back to Adrien. “But anyways.... Adrien. Besides how much it sucks, what is actually happening?” 

“I’m literally a walking rod.” He deadpanned. Nino spit out the drink he was sipping on and Marinette and Alya’s eyes widened. 

“That sucks, dude.” 

“No kidding. Masturbation is the only thing that helps, and honestly,” Adrien moved the phone closer to his face to whisper like it’s the biggest secret in the world, “it’s not helping.” 

“Sorry bro, but I’m so glad I’m not an alpha.” Nino said solemnly and Adrien just glared at him. 

“That’s not even the weirdest thing. I knew that it was a possibility, but my father also mentioned that I could get some random sensations that would entice me.” 

“Elaborate, please.” Alya challenged. 

Marinette snorted. “Ever the curious. You know, I thought cats were always the curious creatures.” 

“What can I say? It’s the journalist in me.” Alya emphasized with a smile. 

Adrien just shook his head and continued. “So pretty much, alphas can have a sense of their soulmates. My father said he needed to have flowers in his heat room throughout his first rut and didn’t understand why. He realized after the fact that my mother always smelled as sweet as a bouquet of fragrant flowers. But they courted for quite some time before then. Luckily, they ended up being soulmates so nothing got weird between them, but that’s also the norm apparently – finding your mate before maturity. 

“So yesterday I woke up fine and spent most of the day with no changes in feeling or needing anything more than my usual stuff. But sometime in the afternoon, something just nagged at me until I called Nathalie to grab me a few things. I had a hankering for pain au chocolat, which is my favorite so that’s not unusual, and…” he looked at his friends and twisted his lips in the process, choosing to omit the need to have his lucky charm with him. He let out a hefty sigh. “For whatever reason, I _needed_ to have a body of sweet vanilla body wash.” 

“Sweet vanilla body wash?” Nino wondered. 

“Oh I love that smell!” Marinette claimed. “It’s my favorite. I always have a bottle in my shower at any given time.” 

“Maybe Marinette is your soulmate and your subconscious is giving you clues.” Alya snickered. 

Adrien went stone faced and sputtered out a few incoherent words. It was already making him uncomfortable dreaming of his best friend in such inappropriate ways. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it right at this moment when she was part of the call. 

Marinette noticed how uncomfortable he became and chided Alya for her brash comment. “Alya!” She scolded, her face now red. 

Adrien finally calmed down enough to backtrack the tension. “Alya, I’ve been missing all my friends. I just wish I could go outside, but I can’t even do that. I hate being alone here. I mean my dad’s around, but I don’t want him to see me in all my naked glory three quarters of the day.” 

“That is not a view I would want to see, dude.” 

Adrien laughed as he flexed his bicep into the camera. “You sure you don’t want to see these beastly guns?” 

Nino only shook his head and decided to move the conversation along in a different direction. “So, speaking of the outside world, bro, everyone at school misses you.” 

“It's only been two days. People miss me already?” 

“I don’t call you sunshine for any other particular reason.” Alya remarked. “You may have a head of golden locks, but you do bright up the room too. 

“Oh, and by the way. Chloe says welcome to the club of the elites.” 

“Woo.” Adrien stated dramatically as he rolled his eyes. He then pursed his lips. “But I always thought the elites were the omegas?” 

“Omegas are the rares.” Marinette added quietly. “Alphas are the elites because of their dominance.” 

“I’ve never really been dominate though. This is going to be an adjustment, that’s for sure.” 

“Kim says you get used to it, but then again, he’s a cocky son of a bitch. I’m more surprised that Alix ended up being a beta. I could have sworn she would have been an alpha. She has a take charge attitude if you put her into a corner.” 

“Speaking of which, Alix dared Kim in a growl match against Chloe. Did you know that girl could growl? I have a copy that I’m going to put on the school blog, if you want to see it.” Alya asked as she scrolled through her phone. “Kim won by the way, but not by much.” 

“Yeah, send it over. But I’m not surprised about Chloe’s growl. That girl can be mean if she needs to be.” 

“You don’t say.” Marinette muttered quietly to herself but Adrien still heard it and snickered. Marinette felt slightly embarrassed but then chuckled along with him. 

“Oh!” Marinette was suddenly reminded. “I talked to all your teachers today. They are going to gather all your homework and hand them to me at the end of each day. Nino, Alya, and I will take turns bringing them to you so you don’t get behind. Since each of us are in at least one of your classes, we’ll take a copy of our notes and bring them to you when we drop off your homework.” She shot him a bright smile. “Don’t worry about yesterday - there was nothing other than studying for the tests and quizzes today, but don’t forget that there is that French History assignment that is due next week. You should have the syllabus for that.” 

“Yeah, I do have that. It’s almost done actually.” 

“Cool. You’ll be able to make up the tests when you get back. Nino will bring your stuff tomorrow, I'll take care of Thursday, and if we get any assignments on Friday, Alya will bring them then.” 

“You guys are seriously the best.” Adrien added with a delighted tone. “I couldn’t have asked for better friends.” 

The three smiled back at him. “Dude, you're our bro. We couldn’t leave you hanging like this.” 

“Exactly, sunshine. You are one of us.” 

“There was no way I would let you go a whole week without something to keep you occupied.” Marinette joked with a wink. 

They all shared a laugh when a sudden crash shifted their attention. Alya loudly groaned. “Sorry guys. Sounds like the twins got into something they shouldn’t have and that something sounds broken.” 

Nino shook his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, dude. Maybe if you’re up for it, we could play some video games?” 

Adrien’s smile faltered. “Yeah, okay. That sounds good Nino. See you both.” 

The two left with a click, leaving Marinette alone on the call with him. 

“Adrien?” Marinette said sweetly. “Are you really okay?” 

Adrien’s facade still held. There was no use hiding it from her. Over the last few years, Adrien and Marinette’s friendship developed into something stronger. Her stuttering and awkward movements had stopped the summer after his first year in lycee and they quickly became inseparable once they started becoming the third wheels to their best friend’s relationship. 

Nino and Alya had found out that they were soulmates very early on into their maturities. They started courting shortly after, usually bringing Marinette along in their outings whenever she was free. When Adrien was actually allowed out of the house, he started tagging along on their outings too, essentially hanging out when Marinette did so neither would have to feel awkward or alone. 

During those times where Nino and Alya snuck off without the two pups to follow them, Adrien and Marinette started sharing personal stories and secrets between them. Marinette became comfortable enough to share her beloved sketchbook, asking Adrien for critiques when she felt unsatisfied with her designs. He in turn asked her to make him a custom outfit, one that he cherishes to this day. 

This also helped them become in tune with one another, feeding off each other’s energy and moods in certain situations. But trying to hide his features has become nearly difficult around her – she knew exactly when something was off. But she was great and waited until they were alone to address it. 

“You know me all too well, my dear.” 

“We spend enough time together.” She teased. “Do you want to play a round of Ultimate Mecha Strike IV and talk about it? We don’t have to talk about it, of course. But you know I’m here if you need someone to talk to.” 

“I know.” Adrien said softly. “Let’s play a few rounds. I’m not tired yet.” 

“Then let’s go.” 

Marinette and Adrien fought against each other in a series of all or nothing challenges. They talked about random little nothings, filling in the comfortable silence that fell between them during the easy parts of the fights. Sometime in the midst of their conversation, Adrien started to feel warm, but it was nothing like he had felt earlier in the day. 

At one point, as they were waiting for the loading screen to finish the countdown, Adrien watched as Marinette giggled as she recounted a silly thing she did in the bakery. Her blue eyes were shining like sapphires and her cheeks were rosy from the waves of laughter. 

“Hey Adrien?” Marinette called, bringing him back to his senses. 

“Yeah, Mari?” 

“I know that you’re feeling down right now with all these changes,” she unconsciously pulled a stray lock of hair behind her ear, “so how about when I bring over your books, I’ll bring you those sweet treats that you’re craving?” 

Adrien’s eyes took on a glossy hue. “You are seriously the best. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be my friend.” 

She smiled shyly. “Anything for you.” 

A few short minutes later, Marinette let out a lengthy yawn, prompting the two friends to part ways for the night. Adrien shifted slightly, finally urging himself to get ready for bed. He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when a _meow_ chimed loudly in his room. 

Plagg had been curled up on his pillow on Adrien’s bed purring every so often in his sleep. He stirred when the chime went off and he groaned loudly at his disrupted slumber. He reluctantly pried one eye open towards the phone but then peered at his chosen’s soft face when he read the text that came through. 

“Are you sure you don’t have feelings for Marinette?” Plagg said playfully. “She’s the only one that has her very own ringtone when she calls or texts. 

Adrien furrowed his brows at the tiny god and shook his head. “We’re close, Plagg. I like to know when she texts me.” 

Plagg rolled his eyes. “Alright, kid. Whatever you say.” 

Adrien was about to object when another _meow_ rang through the room. Another look of adoration adorned his face. 

**Mari <3 ** : _Good night, Adrien. Sweet dreams._

* * *

Adrien leaned back against his bed frame and watched the blue-eyed beauty stand at the edge of the room. Her freckle-tickled skin looked beautiful under the glow of the moonlight; the black little number she was wearing caressed her curves beautifully. It was a sexy stretch lace lingerie set, artfully inspired like a strappy cage. The bra plunged perfectly against her pert breasts and thin ribbon bows adorned the thin straps. Her ultra-low rise, G-string thong matched with double straps hugging her hips with a peek-a-boo, cut-out heart placed right above her curvy cheeks. Her garter belt sat perfectly above her hips; the straps adorned with the same peek-a-boo heart from her panties. Her legs looked sexy with her thigh high stockings and she finished the look with lime green pumps. 

She sauntered towards him with a sultry look of desire. Her tousled locks dripped gorgeously around her shoulders. She climbed onto the edge of the bed on all fours then sat on her haunches as she eyed him greedily. She slowly nibbled her bottom lip, her hands gliding up and down her exposed thighs in the process. The intense smell of vanilla permeated the room. 

Adrien started to handle himself, reaching up to feel his throbbing cock that was poorly suffocating in his tight black boxers. He licked his lips and softened his eyes, praying that she would read his thoughts. 

“My poor alpha. Would you like me to take care of that for you?” 

Adrien nodded obediently, waiting patiently for her to move first. She crawled towards him slowly, her raven locks engulfing her pretty face. She looked like a tiger that was about to pounce on her prey and Adrien could not wait. 

Marinette reached him and climbed onto his lap. As she straddled his hips, her hands caressed his taut muscles, her fingers memorizing every divot and valley of his chest and abs. When she felt like he waited long enough, she rubbed her fingers against his chest, slid them over his shoulders, down his arms until she reached his hands, guiding him to place his hands on her hips. 

She started to grind against his hips, her already wet panties rubbing against his indulgent bulge. She let out a breathy moan as her head bobbed back and her breasts kissed the air. She slowly slid her hand up her thighs and up her stomach, stopping right as they reached her breasts. She kneaded them seductively as she bit her bottom lip. A muffled groan left her lips, enticing him to want more. 

Adrien let out a moan of his own and wrapped his hands around her tight ass, rubbing and squeezing just enough to see what other kinds of noises she could make. 

She leaned down leaving sultry kisses on his chiseled jawline, peppering between light kisses and love bites down his neck and pulse point, licking and biting over his collarbone, and continued the process down his stomach until she reaches the V of his hips. She kissed and nibbled along his hip bone until she slid her fingers in the waist band of his boxers, pulling them down to release his hardened length like a spring. 

She licked her lips and kissed the tip, eliciting a muffled moan from him. She rubbed his cock with her hand before running her tongue from the base to the tip, finishing the ministration by engulfing the head with her warm mouth. 

She sucked for a minute before releasing him with a wet pop then ran her fingers through his golden curls. The sweet sensual touches felt so good that Adrien arched his head back into the pillow, grabbing onto the sheets as a way to hold onto this reality. 

She engulfed him again and sucked hard, releasing him enough to swirl her tongue around the head. The heated coil started to form, his body tensing up for the impending release. Adrien screamed out her name, a reaction to how close he was from snapping. She pulled back from him a moment too soon, smirking at his whimpers from the loss of heat. 

He grunted in frustration until he watched her kiss his body slowly back up until she moved onto his lap, straddling his hips once more. She’s grinding his cock against her soaking wet folds, feeling her sensitive bulb even though her panties were in the way. 

She slid the panties over a bit and helped guide his erection into her waiting entrance. He thrusted himself slowly into her until he filled her up deliciously. She let out a delighted moan, her head lolled back in satisfaction. 

She fucked him, moving her body up and down until he felt the rubber band snap letting him fall over the edge. He came fast and hard, so hard in fact that he woke himself up to his hand wrapped around his deflating cock, the warm seed spilling all over his hand, legs, stomach, and sheets. He's panting hard, chest heaving from the exhaustion of his dream, mind racing on why he’s dreaming about Marinette in that way. 

“Um. Plagg?” He called out as he cleaned himself off. 

Plagg zipped to Adrien, but then cried out in his lack of modesty. “Next time you call me out, make sure you’re wearing clothes! I don’t need to see the endings of your wet dreams.” 

Adrien was already red from the heat so Plagg couldn’t see the blush from his lack of thinking. “Sorry Plagg. But I just don’t understand what’s happening! This felt all too real.” 

“Why don’t you go search it out on the internet because I have no idea why you humans react the way you do during your mating times.” He advised before flying away. _I mean other than the obvious,_ he grumbled under his breath. 

Adrien stared at his clock and noticed that it was still the middle of the night. He cleaned himself off in a warm shower and slipped on a pair of comfy sweats then changed the sheets before setting himself down at the table. 

Adrien let out a nervous sigh. He mentally prepared for what he was about to research, mouthing out some search phrases as he waited for the search engine to pop up. He typed up the question _What does it mean when an alpha has dreams about his very good friend?_ and waited for the results to pop up. 

He scanned the first paragraph, his breath hitched as he read and reread the words: 

_Alphas can dream of people during ruts due to their subconscious thoughts guiding the alpha to their omega soulmate. Connections between alpha and omega are strong and can form before soulmates are interconnected at maturity..._

Adrien gulped. “Soulmates? Marinette is my _soulmate!?_ ” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Mari's outfit](https://www.barenecessities.com/product.aspx?pfid=Mapale8221&cm_mmc=GLPA_NonBrand-_-Lingerie-_-Mapale597-_-Mapale8221&BillboardPopupEnabled=false&BorderfreeEnabled=False&color=Black&amsk=4k3rfh4a9w&cmp=sx&gclid=CjwKCAjwvZv0BRA8EiwAD9T2Vf4OoAIdIMoYsfemVXqkPf9TEbRqI1CrT2vOQZFDCwAIm66egJtpEhoC_FUQAvD_BwE)


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien laid back on his bed, mind restless as he bore a hole into the ceiling with his incessant staring. He was sprawled out with one hand resting on his chest and his forearm resting on the pillow under his head. He felt warm and feverish again, but he knew it wasn’t just from the rut. The amount of knowledge he gathered tonight only frustrated him further (and that was saying something considering he came all over himself from an intense dream). He spent nearly all the early morning hours combing through the internet, trying to understand this new revelation. 

The worst part of it all? The results came back inconclusive. 

There were plenty of studies that indicated alphas and omegas were able to interconnect before maturity and that the connection of subconscious thoughts will lead to soulmate bonds. There were also plenty of studies claiming that this was not true, that pheromones were the only indication of bonds between soulmates. Then he read personal stories backing these studies up, the positive ones saying that many alphas and omegas dream of their soulmates during their rut and heat, finally mating and bonding after some time. 

Then there were studies regarding alphas bonding with betas and how pheromones affect alphas differently. Dreams were a hit or miss, too, only indicating that there have been rare occurrences of that actually happening, and documentation with those results were slim to none. There were personal stories of alphas dreaming of their beta soulmates, and only the pheromones would be the final indicator of their bond. Betas did not have that luxury and would ultimately wait for their bond to develop after the alpha matured. 

But even reading all the positive stories, there were so many negative stories. Some alphas dream of their omegas, or vice versa, only to find out that their bond was one sided. There were also stories that alphas dreamt of their soulmates, but their soulmates had been dead for some time or married off to another. Then of course there were ones who dreamed of each other, but their pheromones were not a match. In most of those cases, their scents were so awful that they physically could not be near each other without one trying to maim the other. 

So according to simple math because he was too exhausted to actually tally the data, there was a 50% chance that alphas dream of their soulmates and it being true. 

_Great._

Since there were so many alphas in the same predicament as he claiming that they saw their soulmates in their dreams during their ruts, then he should believe them, right? 

But as a man who loves and appreciates science, having inconclusive data does not equal truth. But how was he supposed to test this theory? By asking her? 

Adrien let out a loud, dissatisfied sigh. Plagg, who was sleeping soundly on a comfy pillow on the desk near the window, woke up and grunted in frustration. He peered through an open eyelid and mumbled under his breath, noticing that Adrien still hadn’t slept after going to bed just an hour before. 

“Kid. I’m trying to sleep.” 

“Yeah? And I’m trying to get a handle on my life. So, sorry.” He said in aggravation. 

Plagg dug his head into the pillow before pulling at his fur. He then begrudgingly got up and floated over to his chosen, sitting on his chest to hear what he needed to say. 

“Speak. And I better get three wheels for this.” 

Adrien shot him a look before ultimately giving up. He was not going to sleep unless he talked this through to someone other than himself. 

“Do you think Marinette is my soulmate?” He didn’t sound sad, more like hopeful. If anyone could be his soulmate, Marinette would be his first choice. She was his best friend after all. 

“The question is do _you_ think she’s your soulmate? It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If she’s bound to you, you’ll know.” 

“But that’s the thing. I don’t know. I’ve never thought about soulmates before now. All I cared about was making friends because I never had that chance before I turned 14. Yeah, love would be amazing – I thought I was in love with Ladybug, remember that?” 

“How could I forget? All you did for the first year was proclaim your love to her like a lovesick kitten.” 

“ _Hey!_ ” 

“What? It’s true. You professed your love to her almost every day! But as soon as she mentioned the whole maturity-soulmate-bond-thingy, you realized that you actually loved her platonically.” 

Adrien grumbled. “Yeah, I know. Being homeschooled, you don’t realize a lot of things. Mainly how pups are supposed to feel or not feel. But I’m glad Ladybug told me that to my face instead of just letting me act that way forever. I still love her; she’s my best friend. Just like how Marinette is my best friend. Marinette and I can tell each other everything - except for my secret identity, of course – but even then, she’s still a good friend to me whenever I come by to hang out as Chat Noir.” 

Plagg smirked. “ _Why_ is it that you hang out with her as Chat Noir, hmm? You don’t hang around with anyone else like that.” 

Adrien sputtered. He opened his mouth to say something coherent, but then promptly closed it. Plagg just watched him with his arms crossed and eyebrow cocked just waiting for an answer. Finally, something clicked and he responded quickly. 

“Because she’s always in the way during an akuma attack! Remember Evillustrator? What about Glaciator? Gamer? Befana? Bakerix? Weredad? Marinette has been involved with just as many akumas as Chloe has and you know it. I just like to make sure she’s okay, that’s all.” 

“Weredad was because you broke her heart, remember?” 

Adrien let out a muffled groan. 

“You seem to want to protect her. Isn’t that an alpha tendency? Protecting their mate?” Plagg stated with a shit-eating grin. 

“But I only became an alpha three days ago. I’ve always protected her because she’s my friend.” 

“You don’t protect Chloe or Alya like that and they’re your friends, too.” 

Adrien buried his eyes under his arm choosing to ignore that part of the conversation. “Marinette hasn’t even matured yet, so it’s not possible to have that connection. At least I don’t think it’s possible. Research came back inconclusive.” He said bitterly at the end. 

Plagg could see that this conversation was not going to help unlock the mystery he was trying to solve. It was best to just move on for now. “Maybe you just need to sleep on it. Talk to your pops in the morning about it.” 

“Yeah.... maybe I should-” A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “Or I guess it’s morning and this conversation will be happening now.” 

Plagg flew off to hide as Adrien got up and unlocked the door. Gabriel walked in with a food tray in hand, a smile spread across his face. 

“Ah, good morning Adrien...” Gabriel looked at his sullen eyes, “...you look like you slept well.” 

Adrien growled at his father. It was deep and heavy and caused Gabriel to take a large step back towards the wall. His eyes deepened in hue and his fangs elongated in the heat of the moment. Adrien actually looked terrifying. 

“Son...” He said cautiously, keeping his tone non-threatening as to not startle Adrien in his territory. 

Adrien snapped back to reality and swallowed thickly. “So- sorry, father. I didn’t mean to threaten you.” 

“It’s all right, son. I’m sorry to tease you.” He said as he walked back in to the heat room. Gabriel set the tray down at the table in the kitchen and gestured the empty chair to Adrien. “Your hormones are still fluctuating and you haven’t learned to control your emotions. This is all to be expected.” 

Adrien took the seat and sunk into it, the sullen look deepening into one of frustration. He took one of the mugs of coffee and took a sip, but chose to keep the food on the tray. He wasn’t really hungry anyways. 

Gabriel didn’t miss the change in his demeanor. “Son?” 

Adrien let out a heavy sigh. “Is it expected to dream of your best friend in completely inappropriate ways?” 

The older man’s eyes widened. “Which friend do you speak of?” He did not hide the worry in his voice. 

“Marinette.” 

Gabriel instantly relaxed. “Ah, the bakers’ daughter. Yes. She is exceptionally talented for her young mind. She’s confident and resourceful, too.” 

“That she is. Beautiful too.” The confession caught him by surprise, but he knew it wasn’t a lie. She was beautiful. Unbelievably so. 

Gabriel watched him with a smirk. Adrien noticed and felt somewhat embarrassed, clearing his throat to continue. 

“I dreamed that she uh... took care... of me.” The slight blush on his cheeks spread to his ears. “I also envisioned her while I was showering.” 

“That is expected.” He said flatly. “What about smells?” 

He ducked his head. “Vanilla. All I want to smell is vanilla. While I was showering, the smell of it helped the consistent edge and it calmed me down. I asked Nathalie to get me a bottle on the first day and I didn’t understand why I needed it. Well, now I do.” 

“Does she smell of vanilla? I mean, she does work in a bakery. I wouldn’t be surprised if she smelled of anything else.” 

“I don’t remember?” He said curiously before he remembered what she said on the phone. He lowered his head against the counter with a groan. “She said that’s her favorite smell. She keeps a bottle of it in her shower.” 

“Sounds to me that she is more than just a friend, Adrien.” 

Adrien felt like cold water was just dumped on his head. His best friend was his soulmate? Well, he knew of that possibility from the research. But to actually confirm that speculation with another alpha? Well, that makes it feel more real. 

“That’s why I look like... this... right now. I didn’t sleep. I was up all night researching to see what my dreams were telling me.” Gabriel watched as Adrien lifted his head. “Pretty much there’s a chance that this is all true. That my dreams are telling me Marinette is my soulmate. That she is who I want in a mate.” 

“Then why don’t you talk to her about it?” 

Adrien’s eyes widened with fear. “What? No way! I can’t do that!” 

“And why not? You are an alpha. You should be able to talk to anyone you want with power and confidence. Use your inner strength, boy. Talk to her!” 

“She’s my friend; my best friend. What if I’m wrong? What if she is dreaming of someone else? What if she doesn’t mature into an omega or a beta and becomes an alpha? What if her pheromones actually make me revolt her, or worse! Hate her! I can’t hate her! She’s amazing and sweet and breathtakingly beautiful. She’s a fierce leader but she’s just so caring and kind and did I mention creative...” 

Adrien halted his ramblings when he noticed Gabriel arch one of his eyebrows in a skeptical manner. He let out another sigh as he settled on the intense feeling that had claimed his heart. At the same time, a chimed _meow_ rang through the room. Gabriel just tilted his head towards the phone while a blush ran rampant on Adrien’s face. “I guess I really do see her more than just a friend, don’t I?” 

“Seems to be that way. You seem keen on being around her all the time or knowing the minute she contacts you. Your relationship with Marinette reminds me of mine with your mother.” 

“I miss her.” Adrien added solemnly. “I wish she was here.” 

“As do I, son.” 

“Tell me about your soulmate bond. I want to hear from an alpha’s experience.” 

Gabriel smiled. “Your mother and I had known each other for years before either of us matured. We felt a connection - bits and pieces of our lives that indicated we should be together. Like her mild scent left me wanting to be close to her and there was the need to protect her. She wanted to care for me, make sure I was happy all the time. We made each other very happy all the time. She became my best friend, someone that I could talk to about anything and everything. I wouldn’t have changed those moments for the world. 

“So, I did the next best thing: I asked for her father’s permission in courting her. I wanted to prove to her, to her family, that I would always be there for her, to support her and protect her whenever she needed me to. I would stand in harm’s way no matter what, even though your mother was able to take care of herself very well.” 

He beamed. “You know, she fought off two fairly new alpha females during an altercation early in our courting. I wasn’t there, but she was able to fend off their actions without me. But that need to protect her only increased as our relationship grew.” 

Gabriel took a sip of his coffee and Adrien followed suit. “When I matured first, your mother had this instant feeling of helping me through my rut. She wanted to... assist me... during my heavier moments.” Adrien ducked his head to blush at the words. “But I only went so far. We wanted to wait until she matured to know if we were bonded for life. When she matured, I was there to help her the same way she helped me. We were married shortly after.” 

Adrien smiled. He took a sip of his coffee as he thought about what both Plagg and his father had just said. The need to protect Marinette had always been strong. It had been that way shortly after they first met and had only increased as they grew closer. Marinette was always friendly and helpful with those around her, himself included. Did she have the same feeling of wanting to help him, make him feel better, be the strength that he needed during his toughest moments? 

Maybe. She was the first person to text him good morning every day. She was also, in about 99% of the cases, to be the last one to wish him good night. Whenever he had a bad day, she was the first to notice that he was upset and she did anything in her power to cheer him up. Her touch always made him feel good, like a comfort in his heart that felt like home. The hugs felt like medicine and their cuddle sessions always made him feel like he was on top of the world. 

Adrien frowned. “Why am I such an oblivious idiot?” 

Gabriel choked on his coffee. “Pardon me?” 

“Father, I’m an idiot. I was just thinking of what you said. About Marinette. Why didn’t I see it before?” 

“Sometimes being in love makes you blind.” 

Adrien chewed on his lip. “Yeah, I guess. But how do I know she’ll feel the same. Maybe I should talk to other alphas and get their input.” 

“You should speak to Marinette yourself, but if you must...” Gabriel pondered, “what about Ms. Tsurugi and Ms. Bourgeois? I believe they are alphas from what you told me?” 

Adrien straightened his back. “You’re right! And Kagami has found her soulmate later while Chloe has yet to find one at all. I can ask them what their first rut was like! Thank you, father. Your insight really helped me.” 

“You’re very welcome, son. Now. I must get back to work, but you know where to reach me if you need help with anything else.” 

“Yes, father. Thank you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry for no smut. But remember, this is plot with porn!
> 
> Smut will happen again soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette shot up from her bed clenching her shirt as she woke up from a deep sleep. Her chest was rising from her ragged breathing and her skin was warm and tingly. Her hair was tangled and disheveled, her sheets and pillows were tossed around, and most importantly, her panties were soaked. 

“ _Ugh!_ ” Marinette groaned as she fell back to her bed and covered her eyes with her arm. 

Tikki had woken up when she heard the frustrated wail and flew up to her chosen, eyeing her with concern for her mental well-being. “Marinette? Are you okay? It’s the middle of the night.” 

“Yeah...” Marinette muttered. “Just _another_ dream about Adrien. I don’t get it Tikki, I thought I would be over this by now. We’ve been friends for years. I know I still have a crush on him, but I haven’t had dreams this often since the first year I met him!” She looked at her kwami and whispered. “Especially like this!” 

“Do you want to talk about it? You always like to have a second opinion when it comes to your dreams.” 

Marinette blushed. “Um, well... uh... it’s embarrassing.” 

“It’s okay, Marinette. I’ve been around since the beginning of time! Nothing is too bold for me anymore.” 

“Well, um. Okay. Maybe you can help me sort this out then.” Marinette took a deep breath. “I was standing against the wall of Adrien’s room and he was laying on the bed. He wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of really, really tight underwear.” She took a moment and swallowed. “I, um, I started walking towards the bed and then crawled to him. He was touching himself and I offered to take care of that for him.” 

Marinette could feel herself getting worked up as she rethought her movements, especially the look on his face as he watched her climb the bed. 

“I literally said, ‘my poor alpha, want me to take care of that for you?’. Oh god, Tikki! I wanted - no I _needed -_ to take care of him!” Her arousal started to strengthen as the blush turned crimson on her cheeks. “I climbed on top of him and felt him up - like all of him - touching his chest and his arms and then grabbed his hands.” Her eyes widened at the thought. “I brought his hands up to my hips!” 

She remembered touching every part of him, kissing him, biting him, grinding against his hard cock. She could hear the echo of his moan, and just thinking about that enticed her to keep talking about it. 

“Tikki,” she hissed, “I went down on him, like put my mouth on his... on his...” she muffled a scream instead of saying what she did. _“_ I could see myself doing that! And then... _and then!_ I straddled him and had sex with him!” 

Her skin felt feverish. She swallowed thickly, trying to avoid the pent-up frustration that was wounding itself within her lower belly. The faces and noises he made as she recounted herself engulfing his length with her mouth and then her pussy only increased the discomfort in her clothes. 

She looked to her kwami with a distraught look. “Um. Tikki?” 

“Say no more, Marinette. I’ll be in my spot and we can talk after.” 

Marinette was thankful for Tikki’s knack of reading her body language. Her nerves were restless with anticipation for an impending relief. The erotic dream already had her on edge; she knew it wouldn’t take long for her to reach her climax. As soon as she saw Tikki rush to her hiding spot behind the computer, Marinette tossed her sheets aside, allowing the cool air to touch her sensitive skin. 

She hastily removed her restrictive clothing, piling the discarded pieces at the edge of her bed. She laid back down and steadied her breath, allowing her fingers to ghost the warm skin on her belly. She bit her lip as she lazily allowed her left hand to cup her breast and massage the mound as she allowed the other to wander down towards her already wet folds. 

She closed her eyes as her fingers touched her swollen bud, the simple touches sending shivers down her legs. She started to massage her clit with simple repetitive strokes as her left hand followed the same rhythmic pattern against her nipple. She lightly pinched her now pert peak as a muffled moan escaped her swollen, freshly-nibbled lips. She caressed the wet folds to lubricate her index and middle fingers, bringing them right back to her bud to tease the bundle of nerves. 

As she massaged her button with increasing speed, Marinette’s mind turned back to the dream. Adrien’s toned body - a beautiful representation of the almost daily workouts between fencing and his personal trainer - looked absolutely delicious in the moonlight. His barely-there briefs holding in his gorgeous bulge only hindered what was really hidden: a decently long shaft that would fit perfectly within the confines of her vaginal walls. 

She could see herself climbing over him, rubbing his arms and placing sweet kisses along his jawline. His perfect peach lips were swollen from the passionate kissing she initiated. She watched herself grab onto his briefs, pulling the constrictive clothing down and off his long legs, springing free the mesmerizing and luscious cock for her to feast on. 

Marinette could feel the heat start to build deep within her belly. She slowly grazed the bud with the tip of her finger until she reached the entrance again, slowly sliding her middle finger into her sex and eliciting a sultry moan from deep within her chest. 

She bit her lip once again to contain the growing mewls as she slowly inserted another finger into her pussy, thrusting the digits slowly in and out of her in rhythmic succession as she rubbed her clit with her thumb. She continued her ministrations as she cupped her breasts, squeezing and rubbing on her peaked nipple with vigor. 

She remembered the look on Adrien’s face as she straddled his hips and assisted his engorged cock into her entrance. Hearing his moans just enticed her to moan loudly in delight, her head arched back into her pillow as she bent her fingers to graze against her sensitive walls. 

Reaching the tender g-spot, Marinette remembered herself grinding and riding on Adrien’s cock, watching his contorted, pleasure-filled face as he was close to release. Her erratic breathing indicated how close she was as she picked up speed in the dream. 

Back to reality, Marinette could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge; her body trembling as the need for her climax was close to snapping. She increased her speed as she pinched her nipples and finger-fucked herself in tandem until she remembered his loud moan when his orgasm released into her. Her breathing increased causing her to feel dizzy for her own desire to release. The constant whimpers hinted that this was too much for her body to handle much further. 

She covered her mouth from the loud moans as she bucked her hips against her fingers. The rubber band snapped while the walls clenched around her fingers and her orgasm overpowered her body immensely. She continued to grind against the palm of her hand, riding the high of her climax until she was soaring on the coattails of her orgasm. Her uneven breathing continued as she slowly slid her tired fingers out of her, juices slipping from her entrance in the process. But she was too enamored from the intense feeling to care. 

Of all the times she had taken care of herself, she had never had an orgasm feel quite like this. 

Marinette covered her bare body with her fuzzy blanket as her ragged panting settled back into normal breaths. She looked back towards the ceiling as her face contorted into one of confusion. 

“Tikki?” Marinette called when she felt calm enough to speak. 

“Yes, Marinette?” 

“I think I might be gearing up for maturity.” 

“Why do you think that?” Tikki questioned as she zipped back into the loft and sat on the blanket. 

“Well for one, I’ve never dreamed of doing those kinds of things with anyone before, not even when I had that massive crush on Adrien a few years back. Two, I've _never_ had an orgasm like that before or be as wet as I was right after. I mean, that’s not normal for pups to just do that. And three, while I was on the phone with him yesterday, I had this intense feeling that I needed to help him. Yeah, I always want to help my friends, but something about watching him through the phone made me want to jump through the screen and just help him.” 

Tikki watched as Marinette lifted her arms up over her head in exasperation. “Tikki, it broke my heart knowing how frustrated he was. I could just... _feel_ that he was lonely and that he just wanted his friends. That’s why I stayed on the phone with him. Not only because I’m one of his best friends or because I still like him, but there was just something gnawing at me to just be there.”

The little kwami remembered how happy Adrien was when Marinette offered to hang out with him a bit longer. “You’re right Marinette. Adrien was really happy to have someone to just be with. You even offered him to talk it out if he was comfortable enough to do so. His laughter was just so carefree!”

Marinette nodded to agree. “Just the look on his face when we played video games said it all. And when I offered to bring him treats? His eyes changed shades! I know alphas have a different aura when there is something that intrigues them, but I didn’t realize that me bringing him his favorite sweets would do that. But me offering that was just another one of my intense feelings to help him. Of course, my subconscious thoughts just decided to taunt me in my dreams because I needed to help him with his ‘problem’ there too.” She added with air quotes. 

Tikki thought about what she had said. “Hm. You’re right. His eyes did change. I remember seeing that when my alpha Ladybugs found their mates.” 

Marinette shot up and wrapped the blanket around her body. “Wait, what?” 

“Almost all of my Ladybugs were alphas. Their fierce determination and leadership skills were the reasons they were chosen. Some were already alphas when they received their miraculous, but many others matured during their time as Ladybug, neither of which hindered them from their duties.” 

“No, no, no.” Marinette said as she shook her head. “That’s not the part I was questioning about. I do have questions about the Ladybug/alpha part and I’ll ask that later, but what I want to understand right now is the whole alpha-changing-eye-color bit.” 

“Oh, did you not know that? An alpha’s eye color changes when they find their mate. It’s a subtle change and can be short or long term depending on what’s happening around them.” 

“Is that really an indication that an alpha found their mate?” 

“From what I’ve seen in all of my chosens... yes!” 

Marinette gnawed on her bottom lip. “Tikki, are all Ladybugs destined to be alphas? Because if I am, there’s no way that Adrien and I could be soulmates. It just doesn’t work well like that. Alphas need omegas or betas to be able to care for them the right way. Two alphas together can cause a destruction of a family.” 

“No.” Tikki assured her. “I’ve had a few Ladybugs that were omegas. Even fewer as betas. An alpha does not make a Ladybug, Marinette. Your poise, protectiveness, and creative ability make you who you are. While it is normally ideal that Ladybug is an alpha, the chances of you being destined for that particular role is never a sure thing. I actually do not know what you will be. But just so you know, Ladybugs are found by their auras. I was drawn to you just like I was with all my chosens before you. Master Fu had given me to you because I helped pass on an intuition when he looked for a new holder.” 

Marinette pondered on her words. So according to everything Tikki had just said, there was still a chance that she and Adrien could be soulmates _if_ the change in eye color had any indication. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only for her to mature into an alpha and the two to remain friends. But that only confused her more due to her dreams. 

“The only thing that concerns me about all these feelings is that my crush for Adrien is coming back and affecting my mind. I haven’t felt infatuated with him in a long time. While I’m not currently feeling that way, I have to wonder: do I love him?” She paused to think over her question but instead she scrunched up her nose at the confusing feelings inside her. “Maybe? It’s definitely a different type of love than before.” 

Tikki knew that Marinette needed a little push to help her with her feelings. “Well, I don’t think you need to ask yourself if you love him.” Marinette glanced at the kwami. “It’s an honest question to ask yourself and I know you’re confused, but I want you to think of it this way. Do you feel a connection to him?” 

The little god watched her curiously. She knew that Marinette’s heart belonged to Adrien; it had been that way since the beginning. Her chosen knew how soulmates worked but she also knew that there was this unknown connection that needed to be filled. Marinette decided that being friends with Adrien would at least fulfill a part of her connection to him. 

But Marinette wasn’t foolish in her own mind. She knew that destined soulmates would find each other at one point. Marinette becoming Ladybug did put a halt to the idea of being Adrien’s soulmate, especially with Chat Noir professing his love to her during their first year fighting together. She assumed that this meant they were destined to be together until she learned that mature soulmates have a special bond bringing their two worlds together in perfect unity. When she explained that to Chat, he realized how pushy he became and their relationship soared platonically. She then changed her view on her crush on Adrien and made the same changes. 

Yet keeping complications aside, Marinette didn’t need to know that holders of the black cat and ladybug miraculous were destined to be soulmates. This didn’t matter if they were soulmates in love or soulmates in friendship, and even then, those situations would vastly change depending on who took on what role. 

To Tikki, Adrien being the alpha would mean that Marinette was destined to be an omega or a beta. But this was something that Marinette and Adrien needed to discover for themselves. A little help from the gods wouldn’t hurt, but their relationships on both sides of the mask have already brought them together. Adrien maturing before Marinette is only helping them close that bond a bit faster. It’s only a matter of time before Marinette matures and they discover how truly strong their bonds are together. 

“Honestly, Tikki. I’ve always felt a connection to Adrien. That very first day we met after all the stupid drama of the dreaded gum incident... it was the moment that he apologized to me, when he handed me that umbrella and I accidentally touched his fingers? There was this heart clenching shock, almost like a volt of electricity that sent a shiver down my spine. I’ve never felt anything like that before and I never have since then. My heart yearns for him, though. It’s crazy how much I want to help him and protect him.” 

“Alya has mentioned to you how you’ve only done certain things for him, like making him special treats that brighten up his day or writing those sweet notes that cheer him up. Maybe that’s part of your connection to him.” 

“Maybe?” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Tikki? Why is this so confusing?” 

“Life is confusing, Marinette. You just have to go through each day and make the best of it!” 

Marinette smiled as she picked up her kwami. Placing a peck on her little forehead, Marinette thanked her for the talk. It was what she needed after the restless night she had, but that also meant that she was probably going to be awake for a little while longer thinking it all through. An idea popped into her head and Marinette beamed at the thought. 

Grabbing her discarded clothing, Marinette walked down from her loft and tossed the dirty clothes into her hamper. After putting on a clean pair of underwear and a tank top and shorts, she scurried over to her embroidery machine and started working on a project that would surely put a smile on Adrien’s face. Tikki flew over to watch her from her nest of scraps. 

“What are you doing? Shouldn’t you try to get some sleep?” 

Marinette shook her head as she set up the machine. “You know better than anyone that I can’t sleep right away after a conversation like that. So, I’m going to make use of my time.” She set up the phrase and the font and then set up the green colored floss on the bobbins. “I think Adrien needs a little pick me up so I’m making him a silly shirt. That boy loves his fair share of puns. Sometimes he reminds me of Chat when he gets all dorky like that.” She giggled. “I’ll finish it tonight and then have Nino bring it to him when he drops off his homework after school.” 

“That sounds adorable!” 

“Yep! I hope he likes it. Now let’s get this done.” 

* * *

Marinette woke up to the sound of both her alarm and of Tikki nudging her cheek. “Marinette! You’re going to be late for school if you don’t get up! Plus, you still have to wrap up Adrien’s gift.” 

Marinette rubbed her eye with her fist. “Tikki?” She said groggily. “What time is it?” 

“It’s 6 o’clock.” 

Marinette shot up. “Oh shoot!” She looked around and noticed that she had fallen asleep at her desk and used the finished shirt as a pillow. “Oh no, Tikki. I slept on the shirt! I don’t have time to wash it or at least air dry it. He’s going to think I wore it before giving it to him. This is a disaster!” 

“Relax, Marinette. I bet he won’t even notice. Plus, he can just wash it after he gets it. He knows how you are. If he says anything, just explain what happened.” 

Marinette rubbed her face. “Ugh. I don’t have time to panic. I need to get ready.” She quickly folded the shirt. “Do you mind grabbing the black gift bag near the trunk and placing this in the bag?” Tikki nodded as Marinette shot up from her chair and ran a brush through her hair. Tossing on a cute white blouse and a pair of light blue pants, Marinette finished the last bits of her morning routine before reaching for her phone. 

**Mari <3: ** Morning sunshine. I hope today is better than the last two days. Just a few more days and you’re free! I’ll talk to you soon. 

**Mari <3: **And don’t forget. You can always text me if you need me. 😉


	5. Chapter 5

“Girl...” Alya said as she checked the time on her phone. “You were about to break your world record streak of actually being here on time.” 

Marinette arrived to the front of the school a little winded from the sprint and eyed the brunette with a treacherous glare as she fought to catch her breath. Since starting high school, Marinette had to force herself to wake up earlier in order to get things done before heading to class. School was now a fifteen-minute walk compared to the one-minute run from the bakery doors to the classroom from before, and she decided early on that getting up to look somewhat decent was a little more important than it was before. 

It was a good thing that she willed herself of the positive change. Since that decision, she had spent almost all of high school being on time with a few here and there moments of being late for one thing or another. 

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I worked on something for Adrien, but then I ended up falling asleep at my desk at some point in the process. Luckily, I have a secondary alarm that got me up, but I still had to run all the way here to get here on time.” 

“You need a drink, dudette? I got an extra water bottle in my bag if you want it.” Nino offered with a genuine smile. 

“You don’t mind? I’ll grab you one between classes. And I hate to bother you with this, but would you mind bringing Adrien a gift? I’ll hand it to you later when school ends.” 

“No worries, my dude, and sure. I don’t mind delivering him something. Bro needs a little pick me up.” 

Alya still had a smirk on her face as she relished over her little joke. But her smile only extended when she grasped onto the word “gift” that came out of Marinette’s mouth. “So, you made a little somethin’-somethin’ for your soulmate now, did you?” 

_Eep_ _!_ “Alya!” Marinette chided. “You know we won’t know if we’re soulmates until I mature! And I don’t even know for sure if I’m his soulmate anyways.” 

“Yeah, sure.” Alya said, waving off her excuse. “Adrien casually mentions the whole vanilla-scent-thing and you, the bakers’ daughter, the girl who constantly smells like sweets because she works with sweets on the daily, would not be at least in the running for it.” 

“Just because I love the smell of vanilla or smell like vanilla myself _does not_ mean I’m his soulmate. What if I end up as an alpha? That would be a disaster!” 

Alya sniffed her. “You give off a vanilla scent. I can smell you.” 

“Ladies, ladies. We should probably head off to our classes before _we_ end up in a disaster with our teachers.” 

Marinette could not be more thankful for Nino’s well-timed interruption. Grabbing the drink from his outstretched hand and gulping down a good portion of the bottle, Marinette trudged into school thinking about the idea of soulmates. What if Alya was right? Who else does Adrien know that has that kind of scent? 

She doesn’t want to think about the possibility of her being in the running, especially since it would crush her if it that wasn’t the case. But Adrien was her friend, first and foremost, and all she wanted to do was treat him with a few things to cheer him up. She knew he was still feeling a bit lonely and vulnerable, and even though her instincts were blaring in her face to take care of him, she had to push those aside and give him a piece of her in any creative way she could. 

As she emptied her backpack and gathered her books for the morning classes, she smiled at the gift hidden towards the bottom of her bag. She decided to keep it with her throughout the day just so she was sure the package wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle between classes. While she may have fixed her routine, her normal klutz persona was still evident in her daily life. 

As she made her way towards her first class, a chirping noise rang in her bag. She grabbed her phone and smiled. 

**Adrien <3: ** _Almost free! I’m starting to feel better. And I haven’t had a need to masturbate yet today so that’s a plus! Had a good talk with my dad this morning during breakfast._

**Adrien <3: ** _And I’ll take you up on that offer_ 😉 

**Adrien <3: ** _Someone has to keep you sane while Mr. Lovell goes off about_ _Shakespeare_

**Mari:** _Yay to no masturbation!_

**Mari:** _Yes! Please save me from the insanity! The fact that my desk partner *happens* to be MIA for the next few days, I need any way to try and not claw my eyes out._

**Adrien <3: ** _Pun intended?_

**Mari:** _Psh_ _. Always._

* * *

Adrien chuckled as he read Marinette’s last text. Out of all the things Marinette said or did, the one thing that surprised him the most was the fact that she was funny as hell. The girl knew how to pun, and if that was a good reason as ever to swoon, well then, he would be all over that. 

Maybe he did and was too oblivious to tell, but that’s beside the point now. 

Her puns were good. So good in fact, that her puns could out beat his, and he knew a thing or two about fantastic puns. Even Tom agreed that Adrien’s puns were just as good as his, and he was the official pun-master. 

Adrien finally willed himself to get up and pour himself another cup of coffee when a growl echoed in the room. “Looks like I was hungry after all,” he chuckled to himself as he grabbed the mug and the plate from the counter. He sat onto the couch and popped on one of his favorite rom-coms, _The Prince and Me_ , so he could sit and eat in front of the television. Once he got in a few bites to hold his hunger over, Adrien shot a quick text to both Kagami and Chloe, asking them to call whenever they were free for more than a few minutes. 

He knew that Chloe would be in class for most of the day and wouldn’t be able to contact him until sometime later, but Kagami had graduated a year before and was studying at one of the most prestigious universities Paris could offer. Her schedule was jam packed, but Adrien also knew she had large pockets of time in between classes where she could be with her mate or utilize the time to work on projects and exams. 

Adrien took another bite as the movie started to play. 

“Ugh, this one again?” Plagg grumbled. “You’ve watched it like a hundred times already!” 

“And your point is?” Adrien said as he took another bite of his breakfast. 

“Why don’t you watch something else?” 

Adrien shrugged his shoulders. “Why don’t eat your cheese and play on your tablet over there?” 

“That’s rude.” 

He shot him a dry look. “And you’re not rude for saying the same?” 

“All I’m saying is that you love this movie and it’s just an obvious parallel to your life. Socially awkward blonde man - who knows how to fence by the way - finds the love of his life after a misunderstanding that causes the girl to hate his guts the first day they meet... If that doesn’t sound like you and Marinette, I don’t know what is.” 

“He’s not blonde, he a brunette with golden highlights. His spot of fencing looks terrible on screen. Plus, he’s a prince and she’s a med student. Not the same.” 

“Semantics.” Plagg added with a wave and Adrien just shooed him away just as another _meow_ chimed through the room. “Ugh. Go and talk to your girlfriend. Maybe you’ll stop watching the movie instead.” 

“She’s not my girlfriend, Plagg.” 

“Not yet!” He sang as he flew away to his hiding spot. Adrien scowled at the sprite until he was out of view. 

**Mari <3: ** _Save me, my Romeo, for the evil Escalus wants to allow bloodshed in his class by way of pencils to my eyes_

Adrien chuckled at the text. 

**Adrien:** _Oh no, fair Juliet, for we cannot allow thee to die. What ever shall I do? And here I am, locked in this tower of doom for all of eternity unable to save thee._

**Mari <3: ** _You are terribly dramatic_

**Adrien:** _All the better to make you smile._

Adrien finished his breakfast and continued to watch the movie as he and Marinette texted throughout her class. A ringing caused him to turn his head towards the phone, seeing a familiar icon wanting to facetime him. 

“Kagami! Long time no talk.” He said cheerfully, a little nervousness evident in his voice. “How’s everything going?” 

“Hello, Adrien. Everything is going well as it can be here. I hope all is well for you. But I know you well enough to know that this is not a regular call, now is it?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” She eyed him with one eyebrow raised as if she could sense the nonsense. He let out a shaky breath. “I hit maturity.” 

“Congratulations. I assume you are now an alpha if you’re calling me for advice.” 

“How did you know that?” Adrien questioned. 

“ _She knows all!_ ” A male voice could be heard in the background. Kagami turned around and waved at him to quiet down, a laugh could be heard between the two. 

“Luka?” She nodded. “How’s he doing? Tell him I said hello.” 

“He’s doing well. He was just about to walk out the door to head to band practice. I’ll give him the sentiments when he comes back. But back to you. So, let me guess. Advice on soulmates?” She paused, placing a finger to her chin. “And you’re wondering how you can tell whether or not you know who your soulmate is. But...” she looked closer to the camera, observing Adrien with a critical eye, “you found a soulmate in Marinette but your either: A. denying it; B. choosing to hold off until you are certain she feels the same way about you; or, C. that she matures into an omega or beta so you can avoid disaster.” 

Adrien sat there; jaw slacked from her spot-on perspective. 

“Huh, wha-” He shook his head to clear his stutter. “How did you figure that out? I swear you can read me like a book. Either that or you have telepathy. Wait,” he looked around the room waving his arms around comically, “can you see me? Do you have a camera in this room?” 

Kagami chuckled. “No, Adrien, I’m not a creep. Luka has taught me a lot about reading people, but honestly Adrien, you gave yourself away.” 

“How?” 

“You present a heaviness in your speech and you hesitated when you tried to present yourself to me.” 

Adrien narrowed his eyes at her. “So, you are a spy. I knew it!” Adrien and Kagami shared a good laugh. “Alright, fine. You were spot-on about everything. Even the three multiple choice answers about Marinette. But I just wanted to ask how was your first rut? Alpha to alpha. Did you have a soulmate at the time?” 

“No, I did not, but your rut will probably sound similar to mine if I had to guess. I had a need to fill my room with music but the smell of leather mixed in with something musky was something I craved. It was a constant request, the first rut needing it more than I imagined, but then I spent the rest of my ruts prepared with scents and music until I met my soulmate.” 

“I can’t remember. How long was it between your first rut and meeting your soulmate?” 

“Three years.” Adrien’s eyes widened and she giggled behind her fist. “Yes, that long. I spent countless ruts handling myself until I met Luka. You know, the first time I met him was at the ice-skating rink when you asked me out on that date.” 

“That's right. That double date was almost a disaster. I still can’t believe I asked Marinette to tag along on our date.” He winced at the memory. “I almost forgot that was your first meeting with Luka, so I guess that wasn’t a complete disaster. But you guys barely talked. How did you know it was him?” 

“My dreams told me.” 

Adrien gulped but wasn’t shocked. He knew that possibility was certain given both his research and speaking to his father. Having another alpha confirm it only makes him truly believe Marinette is his soulmate. He should probably embrace that fact now. 

“I started seeing him in my dreams shortly after that time. After a few sleepless nights, I realized that because we had never met prior to that moment, our bonds did not complete the pathway, causing a lack of that final step. A few months of very inappropriate dreams later, I reached out to Marinette to request his number and we agreed to meet. When we spoke, a sense of completion overtook us. There was something between us that shifted our worlds and when I explained that I am an alpha and my dreams had been focused on him, he confessed that he is an omega and that he had felt the same. Our scents were perfect and we’ve been bonded ever since.” 

“Luka is a great guy. He really completes you.” 

She beamed brightly. Adrien could see the love in her eyes and even her proper posture faltered when she thought of him. “That he does.” 

“I appreciate all your help, Kagami. Thank you.” 

“You’re very welcome. Now. Make sure you treat Marinette well, because Alya won’t be the only one to go after you if you break her heart.” 

Adrien put up her hands in surrender. “Hey, now. I’m not with Marinette, but if she’ll have me, I’ll make sure she’s the happiest girl in the world.” 

“I always knew you and Marinette were meant for each other. There was always something with the way you spent time together that just brought out the good in you two. I wish you nothing but the best.” 

* * *

Adrien and Kagami chatted for a while longer until she had ended their conversation to finish her assignment and head to her next class. Marinette was in the middle of science class and could not be bothered much. She had quickly texted him a heads up that she had to deal with a surprise lab assignment that required her full attention but she would text later. His father was working, Plagg was snoring away in a trash can, and Nino, Alya, and Chloe were still in school for a little while longer. 

Adrien meandered the heat room admiring the details and furnishings that was placed in the suite. His father was attentive when designing this room, ensuring that when one of their pack members needed to utilize it, they were more than comfortable enough in here while being trapped for a few days. A kitchenette stocked with well curated snack and some essentials, a comfortable bathroom with a tub and waterfall shower, a bedroom with the softest bed money could buy, and a living area with movies, games, and a surround sound system that would make even Nino swoon. 

The room has been used for many years, continuing to be used to this day given his current predicament, and was ready for both alphas and omegas when the heat possessed them. Adrien opened some of the closets and found heaps of blankets and pillows ready for the omega to build their nest. He also found a work out room that he could have used a day or two ago, but with his mind on finding ways for relief, working out was the last thing on his mind. 

He opened the hidden compartment in the bedroom’s large closet and found five large drawers that seemed to be filled with something. Being part cat, curiosity got the best of him. 

Adrien opened the first drawer and found a few bottles of unopened lube. He removed one, noticed that it had a vanilla scent, and slid it into his pocket for later. Beside that was an unopened package of condoms that were nowhere near the expiration date (which was questionable to him, but he quickly shook his thoughts of that possible idea) and placed it back into the drawer after quick inspection. There was also a deck of position cards, a karma sutra book, a set of dice, and a blindfold. Nothing too extravagant. 

Continuing on to the next drawer, he found what looked like a plastic water float, but when he unraveled the package, he found a very scary looking inflatable sex doll with wide eyes and an open mouth. Adrien just crumpled it back up and stuffed it quickly in the drawer, trying to destroy the sight of it in his head as he shoved the drawer closed. 

_Never going back to that drawer ever again,_ he thought. 

The next drawer was filled with wipes, cloths, batteries, a pump, and toy cleaners. _Oh. Toys must be next._

The fourth drawer was filled with different types of vibrators. Picking the different ones up that were geared towards men, he found a cock ring that were simple in design, three that had one ring each and different types of clitoris simulators, and two others that had two rings each with a pocket insert for a vibrating bullet. He found a few pleasure pockets that he picked up curiously, one that looked like a pussy, one that looked like a mouth, and another that was meant for anal, all with a hidden compartment for a vibrating bullet. He placed them all back to look at the rest of the drawer. 

There were also vibrators that were geared towards women, some that were simple bullets, ones that looked just like a male’s appendage, some that had a clitoral sucker only, and others that was meant to pleasure both the g-spot and the clitoris at the same time. The one that intrigued him the most was the couple’s vibrator that could be inserted and used during sex. 

_I wonder if Marinette would like that?_ _Would she be into that? Wait, why am I even thinking this?_

Coming onto the last drawer, he found anal plugs, whips, riding crops, different blindfolds than the one in the top drawer, some ropes and restraints, handcuffs, and a paddle. A little too extreme for his tastes, at least for right now, but the idea of seeing Marinette bounded deliciously to the bed, her tousled hair splayed against the pillows as her legs were wide open to be patiently devoured by his mouth? Well, then, he wouldn’t mind trying some of that in the future. 

Adrien could feel the impending heat rise from the pits of his groin. Fishing out the lube from his pocket and deciding to try out the mouth pleasure pal, he went back to his room to enjoy a little time for himself. 


	6. Chapter 6

“Nino!” Marinette called out to her waiting friend as he stood idly on the front steps of the school. 

He smiled when he heard his name and turned to the two girls. “Sup, dudette.” He waited until Alya walked closer to him and leaned down to place a chaste kiss to her lips. “Sup, babe.” 

Marinette jokingly gagged. 

“Hey, don’t be too grossed out. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing that a lot sooner than later with your soulmate.” Alya added as she wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Alya! How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t think Adrien is my soulmate. He’s never seemed interested in me like that before.” 

The brunette waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I’m the French Prime Minister.” Nino choked in a laugh. “Marinette, be real. How many times have you and Adrien hung out? How many times had he looked at you with the sincerest smiles? Who else has their very own ring tone while everyone else has the standard one? Poor Nino is still salty as shit over that.” A grumble came from the DJ beside her. “Oh, and don’t remind me that he has a heart next to your name in his contacts.” 

Marinette blushed. “Yeah, we hang out a lot, but that’s because we’re friends, Als. Yeah, he looks at me sincerely, but I do the same to him.” A chirping noise could be heard from her bag and she flushed red. “Ye- yeah, he has a ring tone for me, but I have one for him too. And he has a heart next to my name because I put one next to his name on my phone as a joke.” 

“Yet you smell like vanilla - a trait that interests him by the way - and you have always cared for him like an omega does for her mate.” She said with a wry look. “Girl, just face it. He’s your soulmate.” 

Marinette just huffed a frustrated breath of air. “I guess I can’t change your mind, huh?” 

“Nope.” Alya said as she crossed her arms. “And when it happens, I’ll be throwing confetti in the air and having a celebratory dinner.” 

“Yeah, and knowing my luck - _if_ I’m an omega - I’ll probably be spending my first heat with him in my room.” 

Alya narrowed her eyes and smirked deviously. “I wouldn’t doubt it. But, I better be the maid of honor at your wedding...” she paused for dramatic effect, “and the godmother to your babies.” 

It was Marinette’s turn to choke on her spit. She waved her hands up in defense. “No babies! No weddings! Nothing of the sort. Let me just survive my first heat or rut on my own before I think about mates. Kay?” 

“Sure, whatever girl. But just admit that there’s something there and I’ll drop the subject completely.” 

Marinette just looked at her impatiently. “I don’t know, Alya. Maybe there’s something there. Seems like it whenever we talk, but I just don’t want to get my hopes up, okay? Can we drop it please?” 

“Alright, alright. I’m only teasing you.” She nudged Marinette in the shoulder getting her to smile before she shoved Alya playfully back. “You know I love you.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I love you too.” 

Nino just shook his head. “Come on, ladies. Adrien just texted me. He’s waiting to hang out for a bit.” 

“Right.” She smirked before going into her bag. “I have the rest of Adrien’s homework from the earlier classes plus that gift I made him.” She pulled out the black bag. “Thanks again for bringing this to him.” 

“Cool.” Nino watched as she handed him the items. “No problem! Anything to make him happy.” 

“What’s in the bag, Marinette?” 

She giggled. “Just something punny for Adrien.” 

Nino and Alya groaned. “Dude. You need to stop giving him ammo. His dad jokes are bad enough!” 

“It’s one of his favorite lines! And it works now that he’s an alpha.” 

“I can only imagine what kind of gift it can be.” Alya said shaking her head. 

“Nino, ask him to wear it on Monday when he comes back.” 

“Will do dudette. I should go. I’ll catch you ladies later.” 

* * *

“What is that?” Plagg screeched as he watched Adrien ready himself into bed. 

Adrien was now hard and turned on, his mind swimming with thoughts of Marinette bounded in all her delicious glory on his bed. 

“Um,” he cleared his throat annoyed that he had to speak when all he wanted to do was release his seed already. “I think this thing is called a pocket pal? I- uh, saw this in the drawer of toys and thought I could try it out.” He grabbed the little bullet hidden in a pocket to show the kwami. “See, it even has a vibrator.” 

Plagg scrunched up his face. “Gross. If it’s for what I think it is, I’m leaving.” 

“You’re right. Now goodbye!” He said as he shooed him away. 

Plagg twitched his lips and mocked at his chosen before grabbing a wedge of cheese and flying up to his hiding spot in the loft. 

Adrien inspected the pocket and squeezed the mouth open to see how it worked. When he felt comfortable enough to use it correctly, he turned on the bullet and allowed his fingers to shake from the vibration. Deciding to be bold, he stripped his clothes and brought the bullet to the skin above his hardened cock, teasing the groin muscles senseless as he moved it around slowly across his pelvis. 

“This.” He licked his lips. “This feels good.” 

He closed his eyes allowing the vibrations to bring him to the edge. Dropping the pocket beside him, he allowed his fingers of his free hand to curl against the sheets, struggling to grab purchase as he felt the coil wound within him. 

He moaned as the thought of getting himself off with a vibrator alone crossed his mind. He needed a little more, the coil so desperately wanting to snap, but refused, angering him to no end. He grabbed his cock and started to stroke in rapid succession, allowing his mewls to peak higher and higher until a dribble of precum spilled from his slit. 

The little release felt good, but it was not enough. He growled and his fangs elongated, the alpha tendencies starting to show again as his agitated state became more prominent. He decided to try and pump himself vigorously until the thoughts of Marinette danced in his mind. 

“Marinette.” He whispered. 

The idea that Marinette could be his soulmate surrounded him and he allowed the inappropriate thoughts to take over. He closed his eyes and imagined that Marinette was laying there, her legs wide opened and waiting for him to devour her. He could hear her call out to him, calling him hers, requesting that her alpha take her completely. 

Adrien moaned and replayed the words in his head: _My poor alpha. Would you like me to take care of that for you?_

“Yes.” He cried out with a shaky tone. 

Adrien quickly stopped the ministrations to open the vanilla scented lube. He brought the open bottle to his nose, allowing himself to drown his senses with the intoxicating smell. He poured some of it onto his hands, stroking the liquid slowly onto his now swollen cock, then sliding the vibrating bullet back into the lower pocket of the mouthy lip pal. 

Sliding the lips over his length, he started to stroke, feeling the silicone walls press against his skin and the vibrations dance across his arousal. 

_Oh god._

He stroked himself slowly allowing himself to build up the pressure again. Once the ministrations felt comfortable and he needed a bit more, he closed his eyes and imagined Marinette crawling over to him and sliding her own lips to his cock, licking and stroking until he started to moan out in delight. 

_Marinette._

He picked up the pace, stroking himself fervently until the coil was about to snap. He thought about Marinette again, imagining that her gorgeous blue eyes looked back towards him as she granted him a sultry smile, her lips wrapped around his cock as she did so. 

Adrien moaned as the coil snapped and his seed filled the pocket, allowing him to cry out in relief. He sat there, his chest rising and falling quickly from his movements, finally dropping his hand to the bed as his cock deflated happily. 

He looked up to ceiling and then closed his eyes, sighing in relief over his first masturbation session of the day. 

_At least it’s slowing down,_ he thought. 

A loud ring echoed in the room. Adrien pried his tired eyes open and looked over to the phone, groaning to himself about not wanting to move after jerking himself off like that. 

He let out a tiny growl and rubbed his face with his clean hand and ultimately decided that he needed to get himself cleaned up before Nino arrived. 

Adrien grabbed onto the phone and noticed the contact, clicking connect to speak to the caller. Luckily it was just a phone call and not a video call; he could at least clean himself off in peace. 

_“_ _Adrikins_ _!”_ The voice screamed before he could utter a hello. 

He cleared his throat. “Hey, Chloe. How was school?” 

_“Utterly ridiculous without you.”_ She said with dramatic fanfare. _“The classes were boring per usual.”_

“Heh,” he laughed, knowing full well she couldn’t stand the classes she was in, “I’m guessing Sabrina wasn’t there either?” 

_“Nope. This was the same week she went on vacation with her father. So, it’s just terrible that you and her are both out the same week. Absolutely terrible I tell you!”_

“Sorry, Chlo. It’s not like I could help it though.” 

_“That’s right!_ _Adrikins_ _! Welcome to the club! I always knew you would be an alpha. It was written all over your face for years!”_

“Are you sure because I honestly never thought I would be. I mean I knew the possibility was high, but to actually be one? Never thought it.” 

_“Pshaw.”_ She said, sounding like she flicked her hand at the same moment. _“You’re the biggest_ _protector_ _I’ve ever met. I knew you would be one. Remember when you went against that Lila liar those years ago? While I’m not a fan of Dupain-Cheng, what you did for her was_ _spectacular_ _.”_

“That’s because she deserved it. Marinette didn’t deserve to be expelled from school. She needed to be called out for her lies.” 

_“_ _Mhm_ _. But even then, you ended up getting her back. I still think you should tell her, by the way. I’m not sure why you’ve kept that little secret from her.”_

“I thought I told you already. I did tell her. She was grateful for helping her get her back into school.” 

_“_ _Oh,_ _you did?”_ She sounded unsure, but didn’t disagree with him. “ _Hmm. I thought you didn’t. I guess I forgot that.”_

“No. I didn’t tell Alya and Nino. Marinette and I decided to keep that little tidbit to ourselves and then you ended up finding out, but that’s no big deal.” 

_“Whatever you say,_ _Adrikins_ _.”_

“Anyways.” He said, sliding his boxers back onto his body. “There was a reason I called you besides chatting of course.” Chloe stayed quiet and waited for the question. He took another second to pull on his pants. “You haven’t found your soulmate yet, right?” 

Her demeanor changed a bit. She sounded a sad. _“Correct. Nothing yet.”_

Adrien bit his lip. He didn’t realize it could be a touchy subject for her. “How was your first rut? I’m trying to figure out something. But you don’t have to answer if it bothers you.” 

_“No worries, Adrien. I’m okay.”_ She paused to say something to her driver before coming back on the phone. _“My rut is most likely how yours is going. Not sure what smells you’re driving yourself crazy for, but I needed to have anything that smells like musk and woods. But still no dreams, if that’s what you’re questioning.”_

“Yeah, I actually have the smells _and_ the dreams. I just wanted to see if it was accurate.” 

_“I’ll tell you this because I have to go, but dreams are important.”_ She sighed. _“No one knows this, not even Sabrina._ _But_ _I actually see a man in my dreams. I just can’t see his face. I wish I could. From what my daddy has told me regarding bonds, it looks like I haven’t met him yet to connect our them. Until then, smells and the tease of his body are all I get.”_

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I hope you find your soulmate soon.” 

Chloe dropped the whole tough girl act for a brief moment. _“Thanks, Adrien. I do too. I won’t lie. I get jealous when I see so many others find their mates already and it gets lonely without one. When you find yours, don’t let her_ _go._ _Okay?”_

“I won’t. Thanks, Chloe. It means a lot to me that you confided in me.” 

_“You’re my friend, Adrien. I’m glad we can confide in each other.”_ She let out a sigh. _“I have to go. I’ll see you soon?”_

“Bye, Chloe. I’ll see you soon.” 

Adrien shot his phone a sad smile. Chloe has been his friend forever. While he wished she could be a little nicer towards his friends, he still only wished the best for her. He hoped that she would find her soulmate soon. It would do her some good to be with someone that could be her grounding spirit. 

He looked at the time. Nino should be coming over soon. Adrien decided to send him a text, checking in to see if he was still coming, but he noticed a little message icon hovering at the top right corner of his screen. 

“Oh, I must have gotten a text while I was on the phone.” He brushed his finger against the screen and a genuine smile crossed his face. 

**Mari <3: **_I’m free! So much homework though. I’m about to slap Nino with the stack for you. Can’t have you be bored now. Lol. But I have a surprise for you! Nino has it._

Adrien’s eyes widened. She has a surprise for him? She’s seriously amazing. 

**Adrien:** _The fact that you started with homework and ended with gift? I can’t wait to see it!_ _Gimme_ _._ _Gimme_ _._ _Gimme_ _._

He chuckled at his text back to her and then hovered over Nino’s icon to text him. 

**_Adrien:_** _You coming over? I just need to let Nathalie and Gorilla know because I can’t leave my room._

**Nino:** _Yeah dude, just waiting for Nette to hand me your homework. I’ll be there in 15._

**Adrien:** _Cool. Can’t wait!_

**Nino:** _Same, dude. I’m bored without you!_

**Adrien:** _Bro. Same._

**Nino:** _Bro._

* * *

“Nino!” Adrien called out as his best friend walked into the room. 

“Bro! You’re alive!” Nino chanted back as they both reached each other in the center of the room. They gave each other a hug before Nino pulled back to examine the room. 

“Woah dude. Nice digs!” 

“Yeah, my father wanted to make sure his pack was comfortable during their ‘times’. I’m glad for it. No one can come in and no one comes to bother me. I have everything at my fingertips too.” He gestured to the game wall. 

Nino brushed the cap off his head as his jaw dropped. “Dude. That. Is. Amazing.” 

“Got time to play a round or two?” 

“Of course! As long as you have me, I can spend practically all afternoon here. Just tell me to get out if you need your space. Last thing I need is to have my clothes shredded before I go home.” 

Adrien chuckled. “No worries dude. I only growled at my dad when he teased me this morning.” He winced at a second thought. “I even got mad at myself earlier when I couldn’t, um-” 

Nino just put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “Dude. No need to say it, I gotchu.” 

Adrien smiled as Nino put his bag down. 

“Nette gave me most of the homework. I got the rest.” He pulled out the folder of papers. “She was even awesome enough to put everything in a folder for you.” 

He thumbed through the stack. “She’s amazing. I’ll have to thank her ten times over when she comes over tomorrow.” 

“Oh, bro. She asked me to give this to you.” Nino pulled out the black bag and Adrien’s eyes brightened at the sight. “She mentioned that you should wear it when you get back to school on Monday. She thought you could use a pick me up.” 

Adrien dropped the folder onto the table and grabbed the bag from Nino’s hands. He placed it on the table and slowly opened the flap, the smell of vanilla spreading out to the open space in front of him. 

Adrien closed his eyes as he picked up on the scent. His head tilted in ecstasy as the aroma tantalized his senses. 

Nino, oblivious to Adrien’s internal dilemma, nudged Adrien to get the gift out of the bag. Adrien opened his eyes and looked back at Nino; a slow grumble of irritation started to form in his chest. He cleared his throat when he realized his abrupt action and went back to look into the bag. 

He pulled out a white shirt with an embroidered pickle staring back at him. In bold letters beside it, it said, _I’m kind of a big dill._

“Oh man. She is seriously the best!” 

“Dude. I told her to lay off the dad jokes. I can’t believe she did that.” 

Adrien, not caring of Nino’s lack of taste of amazing puns, was so excited over the shirt that he pulled off his current top and slowly pulled the new one on. A heavy scent of vanilla pheromones smacked his senses like an akuma smacking him against a brick wall, and when he popped his head out of the opening, he did so with his eyes closed and a lovesick smile spread across his cheeks. He grabbed onto the shoulder of the shirt to bring the fabric to his nose, taking in a heavy sniff as he did so. 

Nino watched him curiously until he noticed there was a change in Adrien then a moment prior. 

“Woah, dude.” Adrien turned to him, opening his eyes to see him. “Your eyes. They’re a different color.” 

All of a sudden, a burst of anger rushed through Adrien and he clenched onto his shirt with a sense of possession. He bared his teeth, his canines elongating into sharp fangs, and let out a loud and frightening growl. 

“You touched her shirt.” 

“No, bro.” He said waving his hands in surrender. “I touched the bag!” 

He growled again and sniffed the air. Nino released a fear scent and started to retreat from the alpha carefully. “I can smell your scent.” 

“Marinette handed me the bag. I delivered it from her. She gave you the gift. I’m only the messenger.” 

Adrien started to target the beta, pacing his steps towards him. 

“Dude.” Nino pleaded. “It’s me, your best bro Nino.” Adrien growled as he crouched down to pounce. “Dude. Please!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for keeping you guys waiting for three week! I was not planning on taking that long, but my weekends were overtaken and my impromptu writing of For the Love of a Chat took on all my energy.
> 
> Good news? I made this chapter extra long today to make up for it.  
> Better news? We got some DJ Wifi interactions.  
> Best news? This is now my main fic so I will be spending all my free time writing it.
> 
> I will still try to keep it on a weekly timeline, give or take a day.

“So, girl. What’s with the gift?” Alya questioned. She waited until they watched Nino rounding the corner as he made his way towards Adrien’s humble abode. 

Marinette rolled her eyes. Alya knew exactly how to start a conversation and didn’t waste any time in doing so. She turned away from Alya, making her way from the school to the bakery. 

Alya chuckled at Marinette’s immediate reaction and quickly jogged until she made it to her side. 

“Alya...” Marinette drawled out. “I already told you. After you and Nino got off the phone, Adrien and I played a round of video games. He just seemed... so sad. Like a lost kitten or something like that. It was breaking my heart to see him that way. I know how much he loves personalized things so I made him the shirt. It’s really not a big deal.” 

“Mhmm.” Alya hummed. “And none of the decision to make it is because he’s your soulmate.” 

“I thought we were going to drop it.” 

“Yeah, but that’s because Nino was around. We’re alone now and I’m going to poke a little harder.” 

Marinette grabbed onto the straps of her backpack and tightened her grip a bit. She avoided looking at her best friend and opted to look out to the path in front of her. She then bit her lip and let out a silent sigh as she thought it through. She knew that she could talk to her best friend about anything, even if it meant talking about and sorting out her feelings on Adrien. They rounded the corner and Marinette looked up to the sky, watching the billowy clouds pass across the blue sky. 

Alya watched as Marinette’s face gave away her dueling thoughts. Alya didn’t say anything; she knew her best friend and knew when she was going too far. But there was something toying with Marinette’s spirit and Alya understood that it would only be a matter of time before Marinette would spill what was bothering her. 

The conversation stood at a standstill until Marinette slowed her steps down to a complete stop. 

“I had a dream last night.” Marinette finally said. She quickly looked around her to see if anyone would be able to eavesdrop before continuing. “I dreamed I was ‘taking care’ of Adrien.” She added with the quotation gestures. 

Alya’s eyes widened. 

“I called him my alpha and...” Marinette blushed, looking down to her feet. “Well, I fucked him.” 

“Whoa.” 

“Yeah. I don’t understand where it came from. I’ve never had dreams like that and the ones that included him were all ones of us dating. But last night’s dream? It was intense.” 

“So intense that you made him a shirt?” Alya said humorlessly. 

Marinette just shrugged her shoulders and started walking again. “I couldn’t sleep after that. I worked myself up so much that I needed to expel the energy somehow. So, I thought about what would make him happy and what was easy to make. A shirt was the quickest and easiest option.” 

“Huh.” Alya added. “That seems like a decent way to expel energy, but I would have done other things instead.” 

Marinette squeaked and Alya turned at the sound, only to notice how red she was. 

“Or maybe you did and worked yourself up so much you needed to do something mindless after-the-fact!” She added quickly and with some excitement. 

“N-no!” Marinette lied but Alya smirked at her response. 

“Sure... I don’t blame you though. Seeing sunshine’s sweet body yesterday would have surely made me quiver in my panties if I didn’t already have a boyfriend.” 

“Alya!” 

“What? I’m just saying I don’t blame you one bit. When I dream and need to take care of myself, I just go ahead and do it. It’s fun and natural. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Alya shrugged. 

“I know it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but I’m just so confused as to why I had that dream in the first place.” 

“Maybe it’s your subconscious telling you something.” 

Marinette let out another sigh. The girls finally reached the bakery and made it through the doors, seeing Sabine handing a customer their change. Sabine looked up from her position at the till and smiled. 

“Marinette, Alya. Welcome home dears. I made strawberry and blackberry smoothies if you would like some.” 

“Hey, Mrs. Cheng. That sounds amazing!” Alya exclaimed as she reached the register. Marinette nodded and kissed her mother’s cheek. 

“Thanks, maman. That sounds amazing.” She grabbed the pastries and the two cups of smoothies that had been waiting for the girls. “We’re going to hang out upstairs and do our homework.” 

Sabine nodded and went back to work while the girls said their hellos to Tom as they made their way up the stairs. 

They sat on the floor in Marinette’s room and placed the box of treats in front of them. Marinette took out her phone and glanced at it, giggling over a video she had seen circulating on social media. She immediately sent it over to Adrien to brighten up his day. Alya watched and shook her head before grabbing a pastry, Marinette doing the same. 

“So back to the earlier convo.” Alya started as she ripped a piece of croissant. “Do you think you ever got over Adrien like that?” 

Marinette swallowed a bite of her macaron before answering. “No? I mean, yeah, I had that huge crush on him in the beginning. There was that sudden connection I felt when he handed me that umbrella on his first day of school.” 

Alya snorted. “You mean after you thought he was a complete asshole like Chloe and spent most of the day ignoring him?” 

Marinette snorted back. “Yup. But I don’t need to explain _that_ story again. I think I've told it to you enough times that you could probably repeat it to me verbatim.” 

“You’re not joking there.” Alya teased, taking a sip from her smoothie. 

Marinette glared at her for a moment before starting again. “Well, anyways. Adrien had never seemed to be interested or see that connection. When we finally started getting closer, it seemed like he was starting to take an interest in me by some of the things he says and does. But honestly?” She let out a sigh. “I just don’t want to get my hopes up in case I’m wrong with my thoughts.” 

“Girl. Everyone with eyes can see that Adrien has been getting closer to you. Every time we are all together, you guys just gravitate towards each other, much to Chloe and Lila’s dismay.” 

Marinette chuckled. “Yeah, Chloe finally backed off when Adrien told her to get her act together. Whenever their friendship is on the line, she likes to show him how good of a person she can be. Whatever he said to her last time must have stuck because she hasn’t bothered me since.” 

Alya took another bite of her croissant as she thought of her understanding of alphas and their instincts to protect their mates. Alya knew that he was friendly with all the girls in the class, but Marinette was the only girl Adrien really protected whenever trouble started. 

“You said you had a very intense dream about him. Never the case before in the years we’ve known him. And you haven’t matured yet, right?” 

She nodded as she swallowed a gulp of her drink. “Yes to all the above.” 

Alya didn’t want to get Marinette’s hopes up at all, but the further they went into their conversation, the more Alya believed that Adrien and Marinette were meant for each other. Maybe planting an idea in her head may help her blue-eyed friend realize it too. 

“Wouldn’t it be insane if he dreamed about you, and since you know each other, he just finished the connection and that’s why you dreamed of him?” Alya pointed out and clapping her hands in front of her like she solved the world’s biggest riddle. 

“That’s insane, Alya. Seriously. I just had one dream of him. Maybe it’s because I saw him without a shirt for a few hours. It’s not that big of a deal. Now if I have another dream of him tonight, after not seeing him at all in 24 hours, then maybe I’ll consider our connection.” 

“Fine girl. But I better get a call in the morning if I’m right.” 

“You won’t be, but fine.” 

“Oh, I know I’m right. And just for that-” Alya stole the last cookie from the plate prompting an angry pout from Marinette, “-I’m taking the last cookie.” 

* * *

When a person is close to death, they can see their life flash before their eyes. At least that’s what everyone who’s been at the brink of death usually says. 

Nino has now become one of those people. 

Taking a step back slowly to not startle the triggered alpha, Nino could see the life he wished he would have loved to see flit across his eyes. Finishing school. Going to university. Getting his first apartment. Marrying Alya. Having pups of his own. One by one, he could see them flash in his mind. 

He continued to step backwards until he reached the furthest wall of the room. His arms were splayed against it, his breathing increased as the fear overtook his body. He didn’t know why the thought of touching the shirt sparked the rage in his best friend, but the look on his face and the aura he emitted was downright terrifying. 

“Adrien. Come on, bro. It’s me, Nino!” His voice cracked in fear. 

Adrien started to ready himself to launch towards the beta, the growl intensifying as he crouched down further into his haunches. 

A second before he pounced, a _meow_ echoed throughout the room and Adrien stopped in his tracks. He looked up to follow the echo and his face broke into a calming smile. His tense shoulders drooped and his eyes changed into a lighter hue. 

Nino watched his friend’s entire demeanor change from dangerous to blissful in a matter of seconds. That quick change alone was extreme and terrifying, yet the fear overtook whatever relief that tried to climb out of his chest. 

But as he stood there watching Adrien run over to the phone to see what Marinette had messaged him about – completely forgetting what had just transpired between the two friends – he thought over the conversation he and Alya had after Adrien confessed how his rut was going. 

_Marinette is his soulmate. Mark my words._

Alya was right. Of course, she was right. The coincidence in the smell, the way he was so protective over her, the subtle links to each other that no one else knew... it was all blaring in their faces for the last few years and yet no one had the faintest idea. 

But seeing everything in action? His protectiveness over the shirt that Marinette had gifted him and apparently had her scent all over it? The fact that he was fine five seconds before he smelled the shirt and tried to attack him? Plus, the ringtone? Nino knew that ringtone. The only ringtone that was different from the rest so Adrien could tell whenever Marinette tried to contact him. Yet the simple fact that it stopped Adrien from shredding his neck into a mass of nerves and blood on the floor? 

Yup. She was his soulmate alright. 

Adrien had a huge grin on his face and chuckled over something silly. He turned back towards Nino’s direction and noticed a dark blur in an odd spot against the wall. When he saw that it was Nino coiling into himself with fear, Adrien went from joyful to horrified. He had finally remembered what took place, remembering how close he was to launching himself at his best friend and possibly maiming him into nothing in the process. What _would he_ have done to Nino if Marinette didn’t chime in and bring him out of his temperament? 

Adrien shuttered at the thought. 

He took a step back, tripped over something and fell onto his ass, a distraught look of fear and distress running rampant on his face. 

“Oh my god.” Adrien finally cried out, running a hand through his hair and tugging on his ends with some strength. “I’m so- oh god. I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened.” 

Nino, still leaning against the wall, slid down until he was sitting on the floor, his heart racing and beating wildly against his rib cage. He pulled his cap off of his head and grazed his fingertips against his skull, reminding himself that he was alive and okay. 

“Dude.” 

“I’m so sorry.” Adrien repeated. He was afraid to move, afraid to place more fear into his best friend. “I- I never meant to do that.” 

“It’s...” Nino swallowed thickly, his breathing finally back to a normal pace. “Listen. It’s okay.” 

“No, it’s not! I almost... I almost attacked you! Over a shirt! Because I thought you did something to it!” 

For a few minutes, the two friends said nothing further, both unsure of what to say next. Nino cleared his throat as he eyed his best friend and watched as he hugged his legs with half his face hiding behind his knees. He looked so ashamed. 

“Dude. Marinette is your soulmate.” It wasn’t a question. He really wanted to see if Adrien understood and accepted what was happening to him. 

At first, Adrien shot up and looked at him, unsure of what he should say next. Part of him wanted to tell him what was going on – Nino is his best friend after all. But another part of him wanted to wait to talk to Marinette first before saying anything to their friends. 

But after Kagami figuring it out so quickly, and now Nino doing the same, having someone outside of the alpha role give their opinion wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it? 

Probably not. 

“I think so.” He looked Nino in the eyes for the first time since the incident. “I’m like 95% sure that she is my soulmate.” 

Adrien dropped his head again and the smell of the pheromones helped settle the uneasiness in his chest. It was a different feeling than what he felt a few minutes prior, yet he knew that the smell was a definite calming measure for him. Also knowing that Nino was not a threat also helped. But the ungodly need to protect his mate was a startling sensation. 

The panic started to come back and he began to tremble. Adrien started to fiddle with the lucky charm that was wrapped around his wrist and tried to keep his mind on Marinette. He realized that it wasn’t enough and then lifted the collar of his shirt back to his nose and inhaled deeply, trying to ground himself back into the room. 

“Dude. I think you need to be like 110% sure.” 

Adrien removed the shirt from his face and laughed bitterly. “Can you keep a secret?” 

Nino shot him an impassive glare. “I’m dating Alya. I can barely keep a secret around her.” Adrien frowned and tilted his head to the side. “But for you, man, I’ll keep all the secrets. That’s what bros are for.” 

Adrien let out a heavy sigh. “I think I’ve been suppressing feelings for Marinette. It wasn’t until I had my first dream that I realized that maybe something was up. Then, I spent all night looking up what it could have meant and finding out that it’s mostly likely the case.” 

“So, you figured it out? You’re not trying to deny it or anything?” 

“No. I’m not. Thinking about it over the last two days has only made me realize how I am towards her versus the way I am towards everyone else.” He looked up to the ceiling for a moment to gather his thoughts before looking back down to the charm. “I’ve been thinking about the way I’ve been around her. The first year when she was shy towards me and I was an oblivious fool to the entire world – learning social interactions were hard enough for me to figure out as it was – but then I got to know her, all of her – all thanks to you and Alya-” 

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Nino interjected. 

“-I got to know the way she actually portrays herself. Like the way she thinks, or the way she laughs. Then I would think of the way her smile lights up the room, or the way her blue eyes shine when she smiles, her little butt wiggle when she gets excited, or even when-” 

“Dude.” Nino interrupted 

“Sorry.” Adrien said, sheepishly. 

“No worries. Continue.” Nino added with an open palm gesture. 

“But then the day dreams and the night dreams and the thoughts every time I.... jacked off,” he added with a wince when he noticed Nino scrunching his nose at the bit of information he could have lived without, “well, they’ve been so intense. But on top of it, they’ve been about her. At first, I tried to stop the thoughts, but... I just couldn’t. Then I embraced them and things have just been so much better.” 

Nino watched as Adrien let out a sigh of happy relief. 

“Honestly?” Adrien continued. “Thinking about her and talking to her and really understanding my feelings towards her while being here alone... it really confirmed in my heart that she really might be my soulmate. It’s such a scary thought, especially knowing that there might be a chance she doesn’t feel that way towards me. Yet it feels... right. It feels like she was made for my heart. I just hope she feels the same way.” 

Nino smiled. Alya had told him that Marinette had been suppressing feelings for him too. It’s just a matter of time that they both confess those feelings to each other. He wouldn’t say anything; it wasn’t his place to say it anyways, and adding the fact that Alya would kill him over it only sealed that idea in place. Nino would just have to be his bro and stand by him until things lined up just right for them. 

“You won’t know unless you talk to her.” 

Adrien looked at him with a bit of panic before changing his demeanor into something more nonchalant. “I know. I’ll talk to her. I just don’t know when.” 

“Dude. You know she’s bringing your books tomorrow, right?” 

Adrien’s eyes widened and he let out a muffled screech before falling flat against the floor. Nino just sat against the wall with a mix of concern and confusion on his face before shaking his head at his friend’s antics. 

“You are so dramatic, man. Should have taken up acting to beef up your resume.” 

Adrien scoffed before getting himself back up to a sitting position. “Fine. Alright. She’s coming over tomorrow.” He pulled his hair again. 

“You are going to go bald if you keep pulling your hair like that.” 

“Nino! You aren’t helping me.” 

Nino placed the cap back on his head and let out a sigh. He pushed himself off the floor and walked over to Adrien, planting his feet into the floor. 

He held his hand out. “Come on, man. I was promised video games if you are up for it. We can talk about tomorrow while we do it. It will calm you down enough that you won’t try to attack me in the process and we can have some bro time.” 

Adrien grabbed onto his hand and was hoisted up onto his feet. “Alright. Let’s go.” 

* * *

“Dude!” Nino groaned as he slammed the controller onto the couch. “How do you keep winning?” 

The loading screen flashed in front of them as Adrien placed the controller in his lap and rested his entwined fingers behind his head. 

“Going against Marinette a couple nights a week makes me a stronger player.” 

Nino sat upright and narrowed his eyes. “You go against the master that often?” He shook his head incredulously. “No wonder you’re so good.” 

Adrien scooted himself further down the couch until his head rested against the back and placed his hands firm against his thighs. “Yeah. We facetime almost every couple of days. She’s been letting me have my space right now because of this whole rut thing. But even then, we text all day long.” 

“I can see that, dude. Which reminds me... that text that saved my life? What was it?” 

Adrien pursed his lips. “It’s stupid. Just something really stupid.” 

Teasing, Nino nudged him. “She saved my life. I think I have a right to know how important that text was for you to completely forget about me for a minute while you answered it.” 

Adrien looked down at his hands like it was the most interesting thing in the world. 

“Bro?” He drawled out. 

“She sent me a cat video.” Adrien said sheepishly. 

Nino only sputtered. “She saved me.... with a cat video.” 

“It was a funny cat video!” 

“I’ll be the judge of that. Let me see this cat video.” 

“I think I deleted that text link... Yeah. That’s right. I don’t normally save her texts.” 

Nino only glared at him. The game started playing again, but he paused the game play and held out his hand. Adrien finally obliged and opened up the text spread and clicked on the link, bringing up the video and paused it. 

Nino took all of five seconds to realize how awful the video was and quickly turned off the phone. 

“Seriously?” 

“What? Whenever she finds something that reminds her of me, she sends it. I do the same to her. She always says that every time she sees one of my notifications, it’s like instant happiness. She can’t help but smile.” He shrugged. “And truthfully, neither can I.” 

“Sounds like you like her. Like really like her.” 

Adrien didn’t even flinch at that. “I really think I do. I’m just afraid that my bond is one sided. Plus, she hasn’t even matured yet. What if she’s an alpha? I don’t want to get my hopes up just to find out I can’t be with her.” 

They sat in silence for a moment. Nino shot him a simple smile and an idea popped into his head. 

“Bro. I have an idea that will help you out.” 

Adrien turned his head slowly and waited for Nino to continue. 

“Start with the basics. You can always court her.” 

Adrien turned his head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. “Court her.” He enunciated slowly. 

“Yeah. When Alya and I started realizing our connection, we decided to court to make sure. We didn’t want to break each other’s hearts unless absolutely necessary. So that’s what we did until we realized our soul bonds were intact and pure. That’s when we made it official.” 

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I would just hate to hurt her or be hurt.” He frowned. 

Nino placed his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Totally get it. Felt the same way. But you know you don’t have to do anything right now either. You’re still dealing with your rut. Why don’t you wait until after your hormones are back to normal? If you feel like you can’t live without her, then court her. Remember, just because you court her, doesn't mean you have to stay together.” 

“Thanks, Nino. I appreciate you helping me out.” 

“Dude. It’s no problem. I’m always here to help you out. That's what bros are for.” 

* * *

The cool night air on the walk home was a better idea than taking Adrien’s offer on having his bodyguard drive him home. Knowing that Alya would want the details the moment she called him, it gave him an opportunity to think of a way to keep Adrien’s secret as promised, while also giving her enough details to appease her. 

Nino knew his girlfriend. Her journalistic tendencies made her want to find the scoop and dig deeper until she found the lost city of Atlantis. But being best friends with the two soulmates would only add fuel to that fire. Giving her all the details will just make her want to push the two together faster. He couldn’t do that to his bro, and he knew he couldn’t do that to Marinette either. 

It’s a connection they would have to figure out on their own. 

Nino smirked as the buzzing came through on his headphones. Clicking a button, he answered thoughtfully. 

“Nino’s DJ Services. What can I do to help service you?”

Alya snorted. _“Since when have you started servicing people?”_

“Only when it comes to you, babe.” He teased. 

Alya let out a playful giggle. _“Still at Adrien’s place?”_

“Naw. Left a few minutes ago. I’m heading home now. You?” 

_“Same. Just left Marinette’s.”_

There was a slight pause and Nino held his breath until Alya broke the silent void. 

_“How’s sunshine? Get any good info out of him?”_

“Als...” Nino muttered. 

_“What? I just wanted to make sure our golden ray of sunshine was doing great! Maybe thinking about his soulmate some more in the process.”_

“He’s doing fine. Dealing with it the best way he knows how to for being his first rut.” 

_“And nothing about his soulmate?”_ Alya asked, slightly miffed that Nino was refusing to budge. 

“He mentioned his soulmate. Talked about how things will go for right now. He seems to be at a good place in his decision.” 

Alya could hear that Nino was not going to say anything. She was going to have to play a little bit to see if she could get around him. 

_“Yeah. Marinette’s having dreams about Adrien. I just wanted to see if Adrien was doing the same. You remember how protective he is for her. Just wanted to see how things seem.”_

“Speaking of protection. You will not believe what happened. Adrien went ape shit over Marinette’s gift. Almost killed me in the process.” 

_“Wait. Like literally?”_

“Yes, like literally. His fangs, the growl, his claws. Dude almost attacked me thinking I put my scent on it or something.” 

_“Huh.”_

“If it wasn’t for Marinette’s text message, he would have-” 

_“_ _So_ _your saying that Marinette sent him a message that got him to stop in his tracks and it kept him from attacking you?”_ Alya interrupted him quickly. 

_Shit._ “Yeah...”

 _“So, his soulmate,” she emphasized, “sent him a message and saved your ass, yet you’re refusing to acknowledge the fact that his soulmate is Marinette.”_ She paused for dramatic effect. 

Nino relented and let out a heavy sigh. “Alright, fine. Marinette is definitely his soulmate. But, Als, listen. I know you; I love you, but you have got to let things go naturally. No games. No pushing them together. It's got to happen through them and at their own pace. We just have to be there to be their support.” 

He could imagine the pout on Alya’s face. _“Why do you have to be right and sensible?”_

“Because someone has to be there to stop your crazy.” She scoffed. “But you know I’m crazy about you too.” 

_“I know.”_ She sighed. _"I’ll text you when I get home. Night babe.”_

“Good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know the silly video Marinette shared to Adrien? Here it is! [Cat's Meow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndsaoMFz9J4&feature=youtu.be)
> 
> Thanks to my friend Luna for helping me out with that video!


	8. Chapter 8

Adrien walked into his room with his bag slung over his shoulder. He shut the door with a loud thud and leaned back against it, his head resting as he shut his eyes. He was completely frustrated, yet he had no inkling as to why. All he could feel was the exhaustion running rampant through his body. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh, finally opening his eyes as he removed himself off the door. He looked up when he realized that his room was unusually dark for this time of day. 

Slinging his bag onto the bed, he toddled over to the wall of windows to slide the panels open when he heard the soft clinks of steps as they echoed through the cavernous room. Adrien turned and her movements slowed to a pause, blessing him with a picturesque view in his wake. His eyes slowly grazed the floor until they reached a pair of red peekaboo heels. His gaze lifted and he could see the silky, smooth legs leading to a barely-there lace panty. Her hips swayed ever so slightly, allowing him to enjoy the view of the hem of her black babydoll top that teased her skin. Her taut stomach peeked through the sheer top and his eyes drifted to the lace cups of the bralette that accentuated her breasts. Her raven locks cascaded around her beautiful face and trickled over her bare shoulders. But perched between her luscious lips was a red lollipop slowly being licked and devoured as she peered at him with a smoldering gaze. 

Marinette removed the treat from her lips and twisted the stick in her hand. Leaving the treat beside her hip, she sauntered over to Adrien until she was close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body. She then placed her free hand carefully over his chest and looked up at his tall form through her long lashes. 

Gazing into his eyes, Marinette brought the lollipop back to her lips, licking and moaning around the red treat as she closed her eyes seductively. 

Adrien whimpered; his eyes afraid to tear away from her lips. He wanted to be licked and devoured like that until he could release the tension that was building in the confines of his designer jeans. 

She removed the lollipop once more, licking the edges of her lips as she slowly opened her eyes to peer back into his peridot orbs. 

With the tip of her finger, she caressed the edge of her lips as if she was removing the remnants of the sticky treat. She then placed her finger to his lips, teasing the flesh with the delicious taste. Adrien couldn’t help but lean into her touch. Then with a mischievous gleam in his eye, he carefully held onto her hand to meticulously inspect whether there were any remnants of the lollipop left on her fingertip or not. 

Satisfied, he slowly brought her palm up to his lips, leaving slow but sultry pecks across her hand until it reached the dirty finger. He continued to gaze into her eyes, enjoying how every peck he placed made her whimper and mewl for more. Her eyes finally fell back onto his gaze and Adrien slowly wrapped his lips around her finger to suck the digit clean. 

“A- Adrien.” She breathed; her head rolling back to enjoy the sensation of his tongue on her skin. 

Adrien removed the finger from his mouth and rubbed his nose against the exposed skin of her neck, taking in her sweet pheromones as the scent tickled his senses. 

“Mine.” He whispered as he licked from her collarbone to her jaw, nibbling and biting the skin until it was red with love bites. 

“Yours.” She whispered back, allowing her fingertips to graze his scalp. 

Without wasting a moment, Adrien bent down and grasped onto her thighs, hoisting her up and onto his hips. He continued to kiss and bite at her neck, tasting every part of her that he could. She wrapped her legs around his waist, continuing her tender ministrations to his scalp. 

Adrien growled and laid her onto his bed, shoving his book bag onto the floor. She quietly giggled, enjoying the vibrations that rumbled in his chest. He got up and quickly undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants, removing the offending clothing in haste. He then kneeled on the bed and hovered over her, kissing her lips in fervor. 

She responded in kind, rolling her hips against the bedding looking for some kind of release. 

Adrien noticed her impatience and started to tease her skin with sensual kisses, carefully grazing the skin with his tongue as he moved further down her neck and over her breasts. He slowly moved the fabric away from her pert nipples as he kissed around the mounds, finally engulfing them with his warm mouth. 

Marinette moaned and arched her back, her fingers grasping at the sheets to ground herself from the sensation. He took his time, kissing and sucking on her nipples and releasing each of them with a wet pop. 

“Adrien.” She breathed again. _“Please.”_

He looked up to her and smirked against her skin. His princess asked so nicely, he wouldn’t keep her waiting much longer. 

He pressed his lips against her warm body, bringing the kisses from her breasts, down to her navel, until he finally reached the front of her now wet panties. Adrien slowly teased her exposed skin on her hips and inner thighs with sultry pecks, finally bringing his index fingers into the hem of her panties. He brought them down to her ankles and pulled them off, smelling her heady scent on the fabric before tossing them to the side. He kissed back up her legs until he reached her already wet pussy, kissing the sensitive bulb before engulfing it with his mouth. 

_“Ah!_ ” Marinette screamed out, her breaths growing more erratic as he licked and sucked, inserting his tongue within her folds. He brought his mouth again to her clit, slipping his finger into her pussy and thrusting it in and out slowly. 

He pulled back to watch her reaction of his fingers fucking her. Adrien smiled; his fangs elongated and another growl vibrated in his chest. 

“Do you like this, my beautiful princess?” 

Marinette bit her lip, nodding as she let out a moan of delight at his words. She reached down and nestled her fingers into his scalp, pulling at the golden locks as the coil started to swell in her belly. 

“I’m so- _fuck._ I'm so close.” She managed to say. “My alpha... _please_.” 

Adrien leaned in and sucked on her swollen bulb, inserting another finger into her entrance. Marinette gasped as he thrusted inside her, curling his fingers until he reached her spot. Marinette tensed and screamed out, her walls clenching around his fingers as the coil snapped with sheer intensity. He continued to thrust as she rode out her orgasm and quickly lapped up the juices that dripped from her core. 

He removed his fingers and brought them to his mouth, sucking on them as he brought himself back up to her face to kiss her senseless. She smiled against his lips and he pulled away, only to have her grab onto the hem of his shirt and bring it over his head. She ran her fingertips across his smooth, warm skin, relishing in the divots and ripples of his toned muscles. 

She pushed him to his side and then onto his back. He shot her a smirk with hooded eyes and watched as she climbed over him, her palms placed on either side of his head for support. She started with simple kisses to his lips, shifting to his jawline, and continued until she reached his neck. She kissed alongside his collarbone and suckled his pulse point. Marinette flicked his earlobe with her tongue before grasping it with her teeth. She paused and smirked against his skin. 

She whispered against his ear. “Let me take care of you, my alpha.” 

Adrien grabbed onto her face and brought his swollen lips to hers; the feeling of desire overtaking his senses and he kissed her like his life depended on it. She pulled back and kissed down his torso, licking and biting against the tanned skin as he mewled over the sensation. 

She kissed until her hips straddled his and lined her entrance to his swollen cock, teasing his tip with her wet folds. He arched back and grasped onto her hips, silently pleading for her to fuck him. She rolled and lowered herself just an inch, allowing the head to feel what was waiting for him. He clenched his nails into her hips, gripping them in hopes that she will engulf him fully. 

Marinette leaned down and kissed his lips, then quickly enveloped his cock into her core. He let go of her lips with a loud gasp. 

_“Fuck.”_ Adrien uttered; his teeth biting down on his bottom lip to suppress the moans. 

Marinette’s hair tickled his face and neck, her hands now pressed against his chest as she rolled her hips against his. Adrien groaned as his coil started to form. She rocked her hips, rising and falling as he tightened his grip on her hips. His breathing quickened, the rotation of mewls and groans surpassing his lips until he couldn’t contain the coil that was ready to snap. 

“Marinette. I’m going to- I can’t-” He tried to say between pants. 

She rolled her hips as she leaned down to the shell of his ear, feeling how close he was to bursting. His breathing increased as the sweat pilled against his skin, his pheromones filling the air and tantalizing her senses. 

“Knot me alpha.” 

That was all it took and he spilled his seed inside her, knotting and binding himself to her in a sweaty mess of limbs. 

“Fuck.” Adrien called out as the swell of her cum-filled belly could be felt against his own. The feeling of filling her completely like this made him eager to finally call her his in more ways than this moment. 

Marinette leaned down and kissed his lips before hovering back over to his ear to whisper one more thing. 

“Adrien. It’s time to wake up. I need cheese.” 

Adrien’s eyes opened to the sound of the tiny god licking himself with the mutterings of cheese in between cleaning. 

Adrien groaned as he brought his hand to his face, rubbing the agitation from waking up by a cheese phrase. He quickly realized that that particular hand should not have been used. 

“You might want to clean yourself a little before trying to walk.” Plagg said without looking up. 

Adrien looked down to see his boxers and sheets soaked with cum, his stomach also baring a small coating of his wet dream. He flushed red, completely skipping over the slight blushing like the night before, and gathered the sheets to help remove some of the thin layer that had started to dry on his skin. 

When his attempt at cleaning himself failed, he ultimately decided to get up and wobble to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror as the steam from the shower filled up the room. A slight smirk crested his lips at how his dream-self called Marinette his. He hopped into the shower and popped open the bottle of vanilla body wash, smiling as the thoughts of Marinette invaded his mind. 

* * *

“Nathalie?” Gabriel called out to his assistant through the intercom. “Could you please come into my office? 

“I’ll be right in, sir.” Nathalie gathered her tablet and knocked onto the door twice, letting herself in. “Sir.” Nathalie responded, politely as she stood in front of his large oak desk. 

“Please reach out to Mr. Dupain. I would like to speak with him at his earliest convenience; over the phone is fine. We will need to discuss the possible bond between Adrien and Miss Dupain-Cheng, especially given the circumstances of my son with Mr. Lahiffe late yesterday afternoon.” 

“Yes, sir. I will contact him shortly.” She replied, typing the notation in her tablet. “Simon informed me that Adrien is awake and has requested his breakfast. Will you be eating with him again this morning?” 

Gabriel looked at the time. “Let Adrien know I will accompany him for lunch today. I have a meeting I need to prepare for this morning and cannot meet with him currently.” 

“I will notify him.” Nathalie looked over Adrien’s notes and noticed that he would have another friend stop by. “Sir. One more item. Adrien will have another visitor this afternoon to bring over his notes and homework.” 

Gabriel shot Nathalie a worried glance and gestured for her to continue. Nathalie clicked onto the note to see if it indicated whom would be stopping by. Her eyes widened at the name. “Um,” she started nervously, “Ms. Dupain-Cheng will be here this afternoon.” 

Gabriel removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do we know if she is close to maturity? I believe Adrien indicated that she has not matured yet.” 

Nathalie swallowed uncomfortably. “I’m uncertain of that. It may be wise to speak with Mrs. Cheng in regards to that, without outright asking if she’s close to heat. It might be too personal to ask about a woman’s bodily functions, particularly if it’s coming from a male alpha.” 

Gabriel blushed at her words and cleared his throat. “Yes. You’re right, Nathalie. Thank you for the reminder. When you speak to Mr. Dupain, please explain a bit of the situation and request that both he and his wife are on the phone. As long as it’s not during the 9:30 appointment, I am available to take their call at any time. We want to ensure Ms. Dupain-Cheng's safety as well as her right to choose her mate. We will not allow Adrien to accidentally mate or bond with her before she is ready, given the state of his current predicament.” 

Nathalie nodded and made her way out the door, heavily sighing before contacting the parents who may very well be Adrien’s future in-laws. 

* * *

Marinette muttered in her sleep. She tossed and turned, but it was not because of a nightmare. No. In fact, the way she shifted herself on her bed was more for relief. She arched her back and then buried her face into the pillow, rolling her hips as her hand reached down to her clit. She moved her fingers blindly over her slightly damp clothes, rubbing soothing circles against the swollen bud; the barrier of clothing provided just enough friction to help her with her dreaming endeavor. Her mewls increased and her breathing quickened with each stroke. 

Tikki opened one eye when she heard her chosen’s movements, but stifled a giggle when she could see that she was dreaming. The little god tried to go back to sleep, but the loud swear that left Marinette’s lips jostled her awake. She tilted her head to see that Marinette needed some privacy and quickly made her way over to her hidden spot behind the desk. 

Marinette continued to mumble and shift, her free hand reaching over to grab whatever she could to ground her as she continued to sleep. 

“Knot... alpha...” She muttered as her ministrations picked up. Her breath hitched as she let out a loud moan, her body giving in to the intense orgasm that was waiting to be released. It was so intense that it woke her up in a stunned state. 

Marinette’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her chest was rising and falling in heavy waves. She was sitting up now and her hand was on her chest, trying to calm her fleeting heartbeat that was threatening to fly out from its spot. 

“Oh. My. Kwamis.” She enunciated slowly between each breath. 

Tikki flew out of her spot and hovered in front of Marinette’s face. “Good morning, Marinette. I can trust you had a pleasant dream?” 

Marinette glared at the tiny god. “If you mean pleasant enough that I was able to orgasm myself awake? Then sure! Yeah. It was pleasant.” Her voice had a hint of annoyance, but Tikki knew it was the anxiety talking. 

“It seems to me that you have a phone call to make.” 

“I am not calling Alya. I refuse.” 

She giggled. “You know you have to! You said you would since you were so sure that you wouldn’t have a dream about him.” 

Marinette crossed her arms and looked away. “And what makes you think I was dreaming about Adrien?” 

“Because you called out for an alpha and last time I checked, the only alpha you dreamt about was Adrien.” The god heard Marinette let out a defeated sigh. “But I also don’t believe I was wrong in hearing you mumble something about knotting?” Tikki smiled wide, her eyes glistening with mirth. 

Marinette turned bright red. “I’m done talking about this. I need to get ready for school.” 

* * *

Marinette walked down the steps into the kitchen when she noticed her mother sitting at the table. She was taking her time sipping from a small mug and Marinette’s eyes spotted a similar mug with a pastry waiting in front of her. 

“Maman?” Marinette questioned. She knew when her mother waited for her like this, it was because a talk was in order. 

Sabine looked up from her mug and gave her a gentle smile. “Good morning, Marinette. Why don’t you come sit down and have some breakfast with me?” 

Not wanting to avoid the confrontation, Marinette placed her school bag down beside the table and sat on the chair across from hers. 

“How have you been dear?” 

Marinette ripped a piece of her pastry and shrugged. “I’m doing okay, I guess. Nothing I can’t handle, though.” 

“That’s good honey.” She patted her hand and then grabbed the mug once again. “What are your plans this afternoon?” 

“Well, I’ll be going to Adrien’s after school to bring him his homework. Would it be okay if we worked on homework together? I mean... if he’s okay with it and you’re okay with it.” 

“Of course, dear. You know I have no issues with you hanging out with your friends as long as you tell me where you are, what you are doing, where you are going, and that you let me know if you’ll be out longer than planned. But are you sure you want to be there while Adrien is going through his rut?” 

Marinette quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I want to be there for him. He’s my friend and I know he needs a friend right now.” 

Sabine placed her mug back down and laid her hand onto the table and nestled her other hand on top of it. “Marinette. I know we have had many talks about changes. But I wanted to really see how you are doing.” She could see Marinette looking down at her plate, blushing pink. “Please do not be embarrassed to talk to me about this. I know I’m a beta, but I do know many omegas and alphas, too. Between my sisters and I, well, we are a mixed bag!” She chuckled lightly. 

Her lip curled upwards as she let out a silent laugh. Marinette grabbed her mug and took a sip, deciding what she could tell her without dying from embarrassment. 

“I- I’ve had dreams.” She let out a sigh and opted to tell her the truth. There was no use in lying about it, especially to her mother who would never pass judgement. “They’ve been about Adrien and they have only started happening this week. But I was certain that the dreams meant nothing because I’ve had them before. But nothing like... this.” She confessed, the last word said in a whisper. 

Sabine hummed and nodded. “And what about the intense need to protect, give affection, or feeling of nurturing?” 

Marinette ripped off another corner of her pastry and shoved it in her mouth. “I’ve had this intense need to comfort Adrien. Like, we were on the phone, and I could just feel his sadness. I hated it. I made him a shirt yesterday because I wanted to cheer him up and I had promised him his favorite pastries when I dropped off his homework today.” 

Sabine took another sip from her mug and then smiled at Marinette. “I think we need to talk about birth control.” 

Marinette choked on her pastry and Sabine waited until she stopped coughing and gathered her thoughts. 

“B-birth control? _Maman!_ ” 

“Honey. You seem like you are getting closer and closer to maturity. It’s just a matter of time at this point. Plus, if your dreams are being connected to Adrien’s, then I believe that getting you on some type of birth control will be the best course of action.” She smirked. “I don’t believe that having pups right now is on your radar.” 

Marinette turned red. “No. No. I’m not ready to be a mother.” 

“Then being on birth control wouldn’t be a bad thing, now would it?” 

Marinette sighed and took the last bite. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be. But do you think that Adrien is my soulmate just because I’m having these dreams and want to make him happy?” 

“I can’t answer that. That is something only you and Adrien can figure out together. But you know you can always come to me if you need to talk out your thoughts.” 

“I know I can. Thank you, maman.” 

Sabine stood up from her chair and placed a kiss on her head. “Finish your breakfast. I’ll get a box of his favorites ready for you before you head to school and I’ll ring the doctor during my break.” 

Marinette watched as her mother walked out of the house. Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse and sat upon the table, nibbling on a cookie that Marinette had given her for breakfast. 

“Marinette?” 

“What if Alya and my mom are wrong about the dreams and the connections? I don’t want to get my hopes up. I don’t want to believe that Adrien and I are meant to be together when he has been dreaming of someone else.” Her voice lowered enough to be a whisper; the pain evident in her tone. “I don’t think my heart would be able to take it if I was wrong.” 

Tikki paused her cookie and looked up to her chosen. “Why don’t you test that theory. Or maybe just talk to Adrien when you see him later. It won’t hurt and then you can see where the both of you stand.” 

“Test the theory...” Marinette enunciated slowly as a plan formed in her brain. “I think testing a theory is just what I need to do. And I know exactly how to do it.” 


	9. Chapter 9

Tom placed a kiss on Sabine’s head as they watched Marinette leave the bakery towards her school. He sighed as his eyes started to water and blurring his sight with unshed tears, while Sabine looked up at him with a sad smile.

“She’s really growing up, isn’t she?” Tom asked, sadly. 

“It was due to happen, Tom.” Sabine added, her arms crossed as she watched the black blur of her daughter fade from view. “I’m just extremely happy that it is Adrien who ended up as her soulmate.”

Tom hummed in agreeance before turning back to the shelves to clear the trays as Sabine went back to the counter to clean up. 

“That boy has always been like a son to us. There was just something so _ethereal_ about him whenever he was here.” 

Sabine chuckled. “There is a reason why the girls call him sunshine.” Tom joined in her laughter with a boisterous wheeze. “But I am extremely thankful for Gabriel contacting us this morning about how Adrien has been acting, and especially with what almost happened to Nino.”

Tom pursed his lips. “That poor boy needs all the macarons for that near-death experience. Being threatened by an alpha like that, even accidentally, is not fun. I would know!” 

“Tom. It wasn’t your fault you collided with that alpha. I tripped over my own two feet and almost fell into his poor omega. It probably would have been worse if you hadn’t pulled me out of the way. I’m just glad she was there to calm him down. Now that would have been awful.”

Tom shook his head. “He never should have been out during his rut! What kind of alpha does that?”

Sabine looked up to see if there were any outside customers on their way into the building. When she felt that that no one would accidentally overhear, Sabine turned to Tom. “Marinette and I had a chat this morning after Gabriel’s call. Without saying much besides asking her how she’s been doing – and this stays between you and me,” she warned him, “she did tell me that she’s been having dreams about Adrien and it only started when he began matured. That simple fact alone just tells me she’s going to mature into an omega. But this also means that she will most likely go into heat soon. Adrien unknowingly jump started that connection by dreaming about her, sealing that fate.” 

Tom and Sabine matured into betas. Both sides of their families have had quite an array of roles within their bloodlines. Sabine’s mother was an alpha and her father was an omega while Tom’s mother and father were also betas. Marinette would have been a wildcard due to lineage and her personality reflected that wildcard position in full force. It would only be a matter of time before she matured into her role and present herself proudly. 

Tom’s shoulders drooped at Sabine’s claim. “Are you sure she’s going to be an omega?” He asked cautiously, even though the answer was clear. 

Sabine could see the worry in Tom’s eyes. “Afraid so. She reminds me of how my sister matured. Shu fang started dreaming only a week or two before her heat began. And don’t get me started on her affection. That girl could just swallow the world with the amount of love she wanted to give. Marinette is following the same path, but she may surprise us in the end. We will just have to wait and see.” 

“But do you think it was wise to let her go over there today? What if...” Tom swallowed, not wanting to finish his sentence. 

Sabine returned his sentiment. “Remember, Gabriel has already informed us that Simon will be outside of his heat room the entire time Marinette is in there. Nathalie will be giving her the rundown of where the panic button is located and what to do in an emergency. But since he’s already towards the end of his rut, he shouldn’t want to pounce on her or claim her as his own. It would have been worse if she had gone there at the beginning of it. His hormones should have leveled down enough that the most he would do is be as calm as a slight breeze and want to tend to her needs the entire time.” 

Tom frowned. He wanted to hold onto the hope that his only daughter would not be claimed upon arriving into his room and especially without her consent. He knew Adrien better than that. Adrien has proved time and time again that Marinette is indeed special to him in his claim of their friendship, but Tom’s heart still held onto wanting to protect her in any way he could. 

“It will be okay.” Sabine said, placing a hand on his forearm to calm his nerves. “Deep down in our hearts, we all know she’s his omega. The bond has always been there, but it will only complete as they mature into their roles. We just have to watch them figure it out together.” 

“But-” 

Sabine lifted her hand to hush him with a smile. Marinette knew how to catastrophize, but she did learn the anxious trait from the best. “Marinette is a smart girl. She has always known that being an omega was a possibility; and I know my daughter – that girl wants to love him in the way he deserves to be loved. You can see it in her eyes and through the heart that she wears on her sleeve. Yet she hesitates because she can’t bear to be heartbroken if her love isn’t returned. But _we_ know that is not the case. Gabriel has already seen the love in Adrien’s eyes. I promise you. They are meant to be.”

Tom let out a sigh. “And we couldn’t just tell her what we know or tell her that they are least meant to be together?” 

Sabine shook her head. “No, dear. You know these things need to happen naturally and between the two of them. This is the communication, the trust, and the love aspect of their relationship and no one should disrupt that process of their bond. We just have to be here to watch her grow and love her as she walks through this new part of her life.” 

Tom let out a defeated sigh, but finally agreed to his wife’s words. “Okay. I trust you, I trust her, and I trust Adrien.” He then smirked mischievously. “I guess I should start designing their wedding cake then.” 

“Tom!” 

* * *

“Damn, girl!” Alya called out to Marinette, turning a few students' heads in the process. “Look. At. You!” 

Marinette smiled as she gave her best friend a slight turn to show off her look. Marinette decided to embrace her dream in little ways starting with her hair, which was down and curled in loose, tousled beach waves. The black deep V-neck skater dress she wore only accentuated her curves; the lace sleeveless bodice hugged her torso until it reached her waist where it spread out into a loose, mid-thigh skater skirt that flirted against the slight breeze. The red peekaboo pumps were the finishing touch that even Alya couldn’t help but whistle at. 

“Are you all dressed up for something...” the slight smirk started to grow until her cheeks couldn’t contain them, “or for someone!” 

Marinette knew this was the reaction she was bound to receive, but she decided that keeping up with the tease was more fun. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Alya.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to dress up today.” 

“Mhm. And seeing Adrien this afternoon has nothing to do with the sudden change in attire.” 

“Oh, was that today? I honestly thought it was tomorrow.” She added as she batted her eyes. 

“Girl, you are going to murder the poor boy tonight.” 

“Maybe that’s the plan?” 

“Where did this boost of confidence come from?” Alya proclaimed as her eyes widened, then slowly narrowing them as a thought crossed her mind. “Wait. You didn’t call me this morning. Did you...” she gasped, “you dreamt about him last night, didn’t you?” 

“Maybe?” Marinette drawled out with a teasing glint in her eye. She giggled as she watched Alya’s expressions change from surprised to nonplussed and finally to shocked, but Marinette ignored her friend and made her way into the building. The finishing touch came when Marinette tossed her locks over her shoulder as if she ran the world. 

Just the change in Marinette’s demeanor caused Alya to stand on the steps of the school with her jaw open, her eyes glued to the back of Marinette’s head. Nino walked up to his mate and placed his arm loosely around her shoulder, snapping the brunette back to her senses. Nino, expecting Alya to just groan in frustration, jumped as she shouted at the raven-haired girl. 

“Don’t kill sunshine! I like his physics notes! I can’t pass the class without him!” 

Without looking back, Marinette waved her off as she walked down the hall. 

Alya finally let out a groan and Nino shook his head. “If seeing dudette dress like that just to go over to my bro’s house tonight means what I think it means, well then I bet they get married next week.” 

Alya scrunched up her face and slapped Nino in the arm. “Nino! Marinette is more sensible than that.” She then pondered for a bit. “I’ll give it until her heat.” She turned to him. “Same stakes?” 

“You’re on.” 

* * *

Marinette walked up to the mansion gates and rang the bell on the intercom. She waited a moment and started looking around the area before a voice came through, startling her. 

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng?” 

With her nerves a little on edge, she quickly composed herself enough to answer. “Ye- yes?” 

“Ah. We’ve been expecting you. Please come in.” 

Not a second later the massive iron gates opened up and Marinette made her way through. The large oak doors opened and Nathalie appeared, greeting her with a small smile once she reached the landing. 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Please come on in. Adrien has been informed that you have arrived.” 

“Thank you.” Marinette said, her heart now beating with a bit of nervousness. “You can call me Marinette, Nathalie. There’s no need for formalities. I think we’ve known each other long enough that first names are okay.” 

“Very well, Marinette.” Nathalie added with a brighter smile. “Professionalism always prevails some days.” 

“Don’t I know it.” Marinette chuckled. 

Nathalie walked into the foyer and gestured for Marinette to follow. 

“We have a few new rules after Adrien’s encounter with Mr. Lahiffe last night.” 

Marinette nodded in understanding. “Nino did mention what happened between the two so I completely understand that there are some in place now.” 

“We weren’t aware that something would have set him off nor were we informed that something had happened until Adrien and Mr. Agreste chatted during dinner last night. It was quite alarming to know that Adrien could have hurt him over something we would consider so small.” 

Marinette twisted her lips. “Nino didn’t tell me what exactly set Adrien off. All he said was that Adrien almost attacked him but was able to compose himself before anything happened. Is it something that I should be aware of?” 

Nathalie slowed her step as if she was contemplating what to say. She finally stopped and turned to look at her. 

“Nothing at all.” Marinette seemed unsure, so Nathalie continued. “Being around alphas as long as I have, there is one thing that is extremely common between them all. Alphas – _good alphas_ ,” she said with emphasis, “– don't attack females unless provoked. I’m certain of it.” 

Marinette had known that but she also knew that Adrien wouldn’t hurt her without probable cause. He didn’t have a heated bone in his body to do that. So when Nino had said he was almost attacked, Marinette was shocked. 

Throughout the day, her mind went through anything that could have set him off. While she didn’t know what Nino had done throughout the day, her thoughts still lingered to one thing she did. “Was it the gift I gave him through Nino? I-” she swallowed, her eyes darting to the ground as she lightly squeezed the box of pastries to her chest, “I kind of slept on the gift I made for him and didn’t have time to get my scent off before wrapping it up. I didn’t warn Nino about that. I just feel like my scent was what provoked Adrien and because Nino was there, Adrien tried to attack Nino instead. He’s a beta. There really isn’t a reason for an alpha to attack a beta otherwise.” 

Nathalie placed her hand on Marinette’s shoulder to comfort her. While she was correct in her thinking, although a bit skewed, Nathalie could not discuss that issue with Marinette. Adrien had to be the one to do it. So, she offered whatever comfort she could through her words. “Listen, everything will be okay. But if you’re uncomfortable, I can just gather the missing homework and pastries and pass them to Adrien and you can go on home. There’s nothing to be ashamed about in doing so.” 

Marinette bit her lip as she thought. A sudden feeling of protectiveness filled her chest and Marinette knew she could not go against it. Taking in a breath to calm the sudden butterflies attacking her insides, Marinette smiled. “No. I know Adrien needs a friend right now and I don’t want to hurt him by leaving. I’ll be okay. I trust him.” 

Nathalie watched as Marinette gathered her courage. “If this makes you feel better, let me explain the new precautions in place.” 

Marinette nodded and they continued to walk, albeit at a slower pace to give them both time to discuss the rules before they reached the door. 

“Simon will be standing guard outside the room. If Adrien tries to do anything that makes you feel threatened or scared, all you have to do is scream. He will come running in as fast as he can to stop him. We also have a panic button. That’s located near the bedroom wall. It’s in the living area across from the kitchen. It’s a large red button – you won’t be able to miss it. Simon will be giving you both your privacy, but we have instructed that he is to peek into the room through the doorway on an hourly basis. He will not walk into the room; he will only open the door to hear for any distress. If he feels like there is something wrong, he will come in to find you.” 

Marinette nodded. The worry visibly lifted and Nathalie relaxed at the change in her demeanor. They reached the doorway and both Marinette and Nathalie nodded to the waiting bodyguard. 

“Do you have any questions, Marinette? Would you still like to visit him?” 

Marinette nodded. “I don’t have any questions and I would love to see him. I do feel infinitely better knowing the changes. Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. Just inform Adrien if you plan on staying for dinner. We can let the chef know to prepare an additional plate for you.” 

“I will.” 

Marinette watched as Nathalie turned on her heel and walked back down the hallway. She turned to Simon and waved, then exhaled out a nervous breath before nodding at him to open the door. Simon nodded back and gave her a one moment gesture before playing a bit of charades. He lifted an arm and pretended to scrub under his armpit then pointed towards a door at the other end of the room. 

“Adrien is in the shower?” Simon nodded and Marinette blushed. “Oh, okay.” He opened the door and then pointed to the couch, gesturing for Marinette to take a seat as she waited. “I- okay. I’ll wait for him over there.” 

Simon grunted and watched her walk in with a smile before closing the door. 

Marinette paused as she took in the room. She walked right into the foyer where the living area could be visibly seen from her spot. A single couch sat across of a large tv and a few gaming consoles were stacked in the bookshelf underneath it. There was a pretty neutral-toned area rug with a simple coffee table on top. To the left of the living room, there was a small kitchenette with the countertop jetting out enough to create an island with a few barstools set underneath it. Hidden under a spiral staircase sat a doorway, most likely leading to the bedroom and possibly the bathroom. On the wall between the kitchen and the bedroom doorframe was the panic button, large and red as Nathalie had said. There was a staircase that stood against the furthest wall, where large windows were tightly sealed from the outside world, yet the view of the Eiffel Tower was breathtaking. Looking up, she could see there was a little office in the loft space upstairs, with a lone desk and chair nuzzled against a couple of full bookshelves. 

Marinette finally took a few steps in, her heels clicking against the marble tile. Her mouth was slightly open, still taking in the enormous space with awe. She couldn’t believe that this was still part of the mansion. Just this one room alone was the size of her family’s apartment. 

She walked up to the island and placed the box of pastries down then smoothed her fingers over the cool countertops as she made her way towards the couch. She looked at the artwork on the walls along the way, ones of landscapes and mountains painted with comforting colors that was peaceful to look at. She looked at a beach scene a little closely, noticing the speckles of sand shimmering in the sunlight. It was serene causing the last bit of nerves that Marinette had been feeling to finally leave her system. 

She turned away from the wall and made her way towards the windows. She walked past the slightly cracked doorway to what she assumed was the bedroom and paused when she heard the echo of running water. Marinette swallowed, trying her hardest to avoid thinking of a very naked and very wet Adrien washing his muscular body, the soapy suds running down his taut pecs until it reached his... 

_Stop thinking about your friend that way you creep!_

A very red-faced Marinette walked a little more quickly towards the windows hoping that the chill emanating from the sunless panes could help cool down her heated cheeks. But instead, she heard the husky voice coming from the bathroom causing her to squeak and trip over the riser of the staircase in the process. If it wasn’t for the railing, Marinette would have fallen onto the floor. 

“Marinette? Are- Is that you?” Marinette let out a loud whimper combined with a garble of words. She could hear him chuckle for a bit and then the sound of the water turning off. “Yup. Sounds like you’ve arrived. I’ll be right out. Just have to dry myself off! You know... because I’m naked and wet.” 

Marinette’s face had gone from red to crimson and the air completely left her lungs. There was no point in trying to move – her brain officially stopped working and the muffled sound that came out of her mouth sounded like a screeching goat. 

Tikki flew out of the purse and tried to bring Marinette back to Earth, but her chosen was too frozen in thought to see her. Tikki let out a sigh and flew beside her arm, pinching it hard enough to startle Marinette out of her stupor. She yelped at the sudden pain and glared at the god, the little being zipping back through her purse and clasping it shut. 

Marinette grumbled but then realized the pinch was needed. She inhaled one deep breath and slowly exhaled it out. She then slapped her cheeks twice and finally opened up her purse herself, looking at Tikki’s large blue eyes for both a silent thanks and some reassurance. 

“You’ll be okay, Marinette. I promise you.” The little god smiled as she grabbed the special item from the spot beside her and handing it to Marinette’s waiting hand. 

“Thank you, Tikki.” Marinette whispered back as she clasped her purse shut and peeled the wrapper off the treat with a smile. “It’s now or never.” 

* * *

Adrien looked at himself in the mirror and could feel the heat climbing up his neck. He tried to think of other things, but thoughts of last night’s dream continued to run rampant in his mind. Continuing to see Marinette with that black lingerie outfit set him off a few times today, resulting in a few masturbation sessions in the comfort of his bedroom. 

Now that he knew she arrived? Well, his “little friend” decided to spring into action... again. 

Plagg sat on the bathroom countertop with a wedge of cheese. Adrien groaned. “I don’t get it! I thought that I would be done with this by now. I’ve jacked myself off four times today, but apparently that’s not enough!” 

“I guess knowing that your girlfriend is here was just enough to help you _erect_ those pent-up feelings for her.” Plagg snickered. 

Adrien glared at him before deciding he needed to take an unfairly quick and extremely cold shower. “That was so lame, even for you.” 

Plagg shrugged his shoulders. “Oh well. If you’re going to take care of yourself, I will just see myself out.” 

Adrien let out a defeated sigh as he stripped off his clothes. He turned on the water and walked immediately under the shower head, jumping at the cold contact. He didn’t wait to acclimate himself to the temperature and reached down to take care of himself before she was let into his room. But upon grasping the base of his cock, he heard the sounds of quick clicks echoing in the room. 

Adrien’s face flushed. “Marinette? Are- Is that you?” He held his breath in hopes that he misheard the noise. But when he heard Marinette respond with a loud whimper and some incoherent words, he groaned and smacked his head against the tile while letting go of his cock. He accidentally let out a nervous chuckle, a bit louder than intended, then he looked down at his still erect cock to silently swear at it. Turning off the water he called back out to let her know he was done. “Yup. Sounds like you’ve arrived!” His voice cracked. “I’ll be right out. Just have to dry myself off! You know... because I’m naked and wet.” _Why did I just say that?_

Adrien toweled himself dry and grabbed a pair of black boxer briefs and a pair of loose sweats, quickly putting them onto his slightly damp body. He tucked his still erect cock into the band of his underwear to try and hold it in place, then grabbed a plain white t-shirt and tossed it over his head. 

He continued to curse at the slight bulge and panicked at the thought of possibly giving her an accidental show of his peeping cock. He then dug through his dwindling choices of clean clothes and praised the kwami gods when he found a baggy sweatshirt hidden in the drawer. He tossed it over his head and adjusted it against his body, sighing happily when he realized it was long enough to cover his lingering friend. He finally ran a hand through his slightly damp hair, but ultimately decided to keep the messy locks instead of trying to fix them into his normal look. 

Adrien looked at himself in the mirror one last time before taking in a calming breath and walking out the door to meet his friend. He reached the door handle with a smile on his face, but a slight scent of vanilla seeped through the slightly open door. 

Adrien swallowed thickly and any nerves that he had felt suddenly vanished. He tilted his head as he took in the aroma, a lazy smile crested his lips. 

“Marinette? He called for her delicately. He inhaled the scent and closed his eyes to relish in the smell, finally opening the door and walking out towards her with a sense of calm. When he opened his eyes, he stilled. She was staring out the window, her right arm was near her face, but Adrien could only swallow as he took in the black outfit she decided to wear of all days. He looked towards the floor and noticed the red pumps. 

“Ma- Mari?” He managed to choke out. 

Marinette turned around to reveal a red lollipop perched between her sultry lips. She slowly pushed the ball into her mouth and licked the pop, then slowly pulled it out and leaving a red residue along her lips and ending the movement with a wink. 

She winked. 

_She fucking winked._

Adrien paled as he let out a muffled whimper. Her scent was stronger now that the barrier of the room was no longer between them and Adrien’s heart pounded in his chest. 

Marinette licked her bottom lip and brought her thumb to check for remnants, licking the digit clean once she was done inspecting it. He swallowed as Marinette placed the lollipop back into her mouth, slowly walking along the wall of windows with a sway of her hips as the short skirt teased along the bottom of her luscious ass. He watched as she continued to lick and suck the pop, the red ball rubbing against her tongue. He could feel himself sweat and his cock twitched traitorously. 

She finally turned to look at him. “This room is pretty amazing, Adrien.” She stated, her voice somewhat flirtatious. 

Adrien tried to hide the sexual instincts that were clawing at his insides, but watching her suck and lick the lollipop only made the growl in his chest come alive. His already hard cock swelled further in revenge, removing itself from the safety of the waistband and now out into the loose area of his pants. 

Marinette sauntered towards him and smiled innocently, her eyes quickly roaming Adrien’s posture until she spotted a hint of a tent that should have been hidden within his dark clothing. She quickly looked back to his eyes, but her actions had been caught. Adrien had watched her movements and her face reddened over the embarrassment of her inappropriate behavior. 

“Adrien-” 

Adrien looked down to the ground as he held up one hand and gestured her to stop talking. 

Marinette tried again. “I’m so-” 

Again, he gestured for her stop. Marinette tightly pressed her lips together and her eyes darted to the safety of the floor, ashamed of what she had done. Adrien finally looked up at her and watched as her cheeks cooled down to a darker pink, but her unintentional actions had already made its mark in his desires. 

“Stay here. I’ll-” he coughed to try and clear his shaky voice, “Just don’t go anywhere.” 

Marinette looked up at him as Adrien ran back into his bedroom, slamming the door and locking it shut. She stared at the door before words finally reached her lips. 

“Tikki?” The little god popped her head out of the purse. “I think I fucked up big time.” 


	10. Chapter 10

Five minutes passed and Adrien had yet to walk back out into the living room. 

“This is such a disaster Tikki!” Marinette murmured as she started to pace the room. “I only did this to get a reaction out of him, not make him run!” 

“I think you got quite the reaction, Marinette.” Tikki giggled. 

She raised her arms above her head. “But not like this! I needed to see if he had that dream last night! I only wanted to see him maybe stutter, or even just question why I had the lollipop. You know... like a conversation starter?” 

“I guess he didn’t have much to talk about, huh?” 

“No!” Marinette grasped onto her locks and pulled on them. “Tikki. He ran off to hide. I looked down at his... at...” she turned beet red at the thought, “I looked right down to his... manhood... and embarrassed him! I’m supposed to make him feel better. This is not making him better!” 

“You need to try to calm down.” Tikki gestured with her paws. “I’m sure everything is all right and you just caught him off guard. It will be okay.” 

Marinette continued to pace in silence. Adrien said he wanted her to stay in the room. He said not to leave. If he wanted her to leave, he wouldn’t have said that, right? So, it was probably fine. 

Marinette paused her steps and stared at the door. Her heart was beating out of her chest and aching to just reach out and help him. She wanted to hold him and run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to say that she was sorry for coming over wearing this outfit. Apologize that her plan to figure out if their dreams were in sync failed. She didn’t care how much it hurt her, but if he needed her to leave, she would and give him the space he deserves. She would do anything for him. 

But that’s it. She _would_ do anything for him. She always had and always will. She yearned to care for him with every fiber of her being. That’s all she wanted for him: for him to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel protected. 

That feeling had always been with her since the day he handed her his umbrella in the rain. That was the day the spark of whatever connection they shared had started. Yet it wasn’t until this very moment in front of his door where she felt like her entire world was slipping away and it was all because of a fuck up she decided to try out. 

Without realizing it, she wandered over and stood before the bedroom door, her hand hovering in the air and already formed into a fist. She was about to knock and call out to him when a thought crashed into her mind like a slap across her face. Whatever resolve that she left tumbled down and shattered like glass against the floor. She paled as the realization dawned on her. 

What if _she_ wasn’t what he needed? 

She recoiled her hand and took a step back, then another, and another until she reached the back of the couch. Her hands were now clenched in front of her heart as the nagging feeling from earlier started to claw its way through her body while an ache formed in her heart. 

What if he was hiding so he didn’t hurt her? What if her being here was causing him to freak out? What if she was going to mature into an alpha and the pheromones she had been giving off were actually pungent to him? 

Maybe that’s why he attacked Nino. Her gift was covered in her scent and it must have given him an ill effect. Her scent must be what was driving him crazy in all the wrong ways. 

She was numb. Her body started to shake as the thoughts circulated her mind. Tikki watched close by to help intervene her thoughts if needed, but Marinette was too consumed to notice that the god had hovered beside her. 

She started to panic even further and tears started to stroll down her face. 

“Tikki.” She whispered. “I’m- I’m not his soulmate. He- he can’t be around m- me.” She said between sobs. “The dreams were- they're wrong. We are meant to be apart, not together.” She sniffed. “I- I don’t know what to do.” 

Tikki looked at her chosen with eyes full of sadness. She hated it when she worked herself up this way. If only Marinette could know how the miraculous brought them together, none of this would be happening right now. “Marinette, you don’t know that.” She added delicately. 

“Why else would he run off like that? If I was his soulmate, don’t you think he would want to be here?” Her panic started to break and anger had formed, bubbling under the surface. She was afraid of falling in too deep for this very reason. 

“He asked you to stay. Doesn’t that mean something? Anything?” 

“He probably just said that so I wouldn’t get offended.” 

“I don’t think you're thinking reasonably.” 

“And you’re not understanding the gravity of this situation! My ‘supposed’ soulmate can’t be around me. How am I supposed to feel!” She said, exasperated. Her body was exhausted from her mental anguish. 

“Marinette-” Tikki tried to interrupt, but stopped when she noticed that Marinette’s legs had given out on her. Tikki zipped over as if she could easily keep Marinette from collapsing on the floor, but the energy from the kwami was enough to bring Marinette onto her knees instead. Marinette wrapped her arms tightly around her torso and the tears were falling down her face in full force. 

“Tikki. I’m in love with him and I can’t be with him.” 

* * *

“Well, well, well.” Plagg stated the moment Adrien locked the door. “Seems your girlfriend dressed up for you.” 

Adrien turned to the god and exposed his fangs. He emitted a low growl, one that stated ‘don’t mess with me right now’, and started to pace the room. Plagg watched him carefully, deciding to forgo any of his usual unhelpful phrases. 

The blond stopped for a moment and looked down at his groin to curse the living hell out of his cock. “This is all your fault.” He muttered. 

The smell of vanilla seeped through the doorway. Adrien instantly perked up, his eyes closing as his muscles began to relax. He sniffed the air and sighed at the welcome scent. He focused on the calming feeling and ran a clawed hand through his messy locks. His ragged heartbeat slowed down and he began to walk towards the bed, sitting down to relish in the smell. 

He felt like Marinette was in the room embracing him in a warm hug. There was a protective feeling to this smell and he wasn’t sure if it was him hoping for that embrace or if it was her emitting those feelings through her scent. Everything felt so new and comforting and warm that it didn’t take him long to relax completely. 

He rubbed his sweaty palms against his thighs as he licked his lips and ran the tip of his tongue against his fangs. Finally pulling himself onto the bed completely, he leaned against the pillows that were against the headboard and dragged the waistband of his sweats and boxers down to his thighs. He took in a sharp intake of breath as his swollen shaft sprung from its hold; the heated cock bobbing slightly in the chill air. 

He wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and started to stroke up until he reached the head, rubbing his thumb against the slit to gather the bit of precum that had already started to leak. He groaned as he coated his length with his seed and worked up his ministrations to a comfortable speed. 

Adrien brought his head back into the pillows as he quickened his pace. The sweet smell of Marinette’s scent continued to permeate the room and it felt like she was getting closer and closer to him. He ran his free hand through his hair and then brought his hand down to the sheets, grasping the fabric in his fingertips to keep him grounded. 

As he twisted his palm around his cock, he teased the head with a swirling motion of his thumb. He bit his lip and he closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the coil that had started to form. He let out a low growl and quickened his ministrations until he could feel his cock swell uncomfortably. He sniffed the air again, the tantalizing smells enticing him to finish faster than usual. 

Adrien stopped stroking for a few seconds and decided that he needed to shift positions for a better release. Never loosening the grip on his cock, Adrien kicked his pants and boxers off his legs then got onto his hands and knees and started to stroke again. He bucked his hips against his fist, moaning out Marinette’s name in hushed tones. 

“Fuck. _Fuck._ ” He hissed as he felt the orgasm reach the tip. He bucked his hips once more, tightening his grip as he stroked until he couldn’t contain his seed any longer. With one final stroke, he felt the hot cum sputtering out, groaning as the pressure from the ejaculation caused him to falter onto his elbows. 

He nuzzled his face into the clean part of his sheets, finally resting the rest his body onto the bed as he tried to level his breathing. Sweat glistened the exposed skin on his legs and face and his cock twitched until it settled down. 

Adrien groaned against the sheets, struggling to get himself back up. He brought the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and brought his arm up to cover his eyes. He even thought about falling asleep for a second; the exhaustion from his quick ejaculation had replaced the excitement of Marinette’s arrival, but he knew he had a few seconds to spare before finally getting up and seeing her again. But as he inhaled deeply, there was a sudden change in the sweet scent that it caused him to stir. Panic filled his chest as he realized he left Marinette in the living room alone, but as he continued to sniff the air, he realized that something was wrong. 

No. 

_Something was wrong with Marinette._

Adrien lifted himself up into a sitting position on the bed and started to whimper. Something was wrong with Marinette and he wasn’t there to help her. Before he could even realize what he was doing, Adrien shot up off the bed and reached for the door, ignoring the frantic gesturing from Plagg as he zipped over from his hiding spot to hover in front of his face. 

“Adrien, wait!” Plagg stressed as he stretched his body in front of the door. 

Adrien bared his teeth. “Move, Plagg!” 

“But, Adrien-” 

With a dangerous gleam in his eye, his voice low and hoarse, Adrien glared at Plagg once more and breathed out a _move_ before Plagg finally figured it was best to listen. He floated away dejectedly and watched as Adrien opened the door and run off to his mate. 

“Marinette?” Adrien called out as soon as the door opened wide. 

“ _Marinette?_ ” He cried out once again, the panic evident in his voice when he didn’t immediately see her. His heart raced as he searched the room until he noticed a spot of blue hair behind the sofa. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her legs tightly with her forehead against her knees. She looked like she was trying to disappear from the world. She was trembling as the sobs wracked her body. 

“Oh my god, Marinette!” Adrien shouted as he hopped over the couch to her side. He kneeled down beside her and grabbed her by her biceps, carefully placing her onto his lap. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders bringing her into his chest, then wrapped his other arm around her head and placed it into the crook of his neck. 

“Shhh.” He soothed her, rocking back and forth to calm her down. She nuzzled further into his body, her hands grasping the fabric of his sweatshirt. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m here. What’s wrong? What happened?” 

Marinette continued to sob but shook her head, refusing to speak a word. With pain in his chest and worry on his brow, he continued to rock her and hold her tight. He placed a simple peck to her forehead, reminding her that she was safe and loved, then ran his fingers through her hair in soothing patterns. 

After a while, Marinette’s sobs turned into whimpers and the trembles turned to quivers. Her ragged breathing leveled out and slowly returned to normal. When she was calm, she shifted against him slightly and he, in turn, loosened his hold allowing her to pull back enough for her to play with the strings of his sweatshirt. She had yet to look up at him. 

“Hey.” He said softly as he lifted her chin so they could gaze into each other’s eyes. Her blue eyes glistened brightly through the red and swollen sclera. She looked at him, bewildered, patiently waiting for whatever he wanted to say next. But any words Adrien wanted to say had died at the tip of his tongue. 

In that moment, he knew of one thing to be completely true: she was absolutely beautiful even in the midst of her anguish. He gave her a simple grin, the corners of his lips turning upwards ever so slightly, yet the love he was feeling in his body poured out of that smile. Whatever hesitations of his feelings for this girl was squashed when both the extreme panic and sudden relief washed over his body at the sight of her. 

He couldn’t contain the love and protection that swelled within his heart and seeing her like this only made him want to protect her more. He ran his thumb against her cheek while he gave her a loving smile, but she started to scrunch her face as if she was about to cry again in his arms. 

“Shhh.” He whispered to her again. “Don’t cry. I’m right here.” 

Marinette squeezed her eyelids shut tight to quell the tears that threatened to fall and Adrien continued to hold her close. 

“What’s going on, Marinette? What happened?” 

Marinette finally opened her eyes but didn’t look into his. She bit her lip. 

Adrien swallowed as he watched her chew on her bottom lip innocently, but the whirlwind of inappropriate emotions had started to taunt his insides. Before he accidentally poked her with his currently flaccid friend, he brought his thumb up from her cheek and lightly tugged the lip away from her teeth, also gaining her eyesight back to his in return. 

“Trust in me. Why are you crying?” 

“Y-you,” she started, “ran away. I-I'm sorry. It’s my fault.” 

Adrien shook his head. “I didn’t run away. I mean, I did, but not because of anything you did.” 

“How is it not my fault? You ran off because of my scent. It made you turn away. You’re eyes. They changed colors, too. I know...” she let out a heavy breath and looked back down to play with the strings again, “I know that means you don’t like something. Y- you attacked Nino and he’s a beta! There is no reason for you to attack him without a reason. The- the only reason y- you did was because of my s-scent.” The tears started to slide down her cheeks. “I’m not good to be around you. I’m sorry.” 

She tried to get up, but Adrien held her down. She shook her head lifelessly. “I should go. I shouldn’t be here if my scent is making you feel terrible. I could- I would never want to hurt you.” She started sobbing again, her body wracked with guilt and pain over having to let him go. 

Adrien frowned. He brought her closer to his body again and grasped onto her cheeks lightly with both hands to make sure she listened to what he needed to say. “You did nothing wrong.” 

“But then why-” 

He interrupted her with a finger to her lips. His voice was low and sultry and Marinette couldn’t contain the tiny moan that left her lips. “Your scent has been nothing but warm to me over the last few days. It’s what has been keeping me calm since I started this rut.” 

“But then why did you leave?” She whispered, her eyes searching his in a silent plea. 

He licked one of his fangs and ran a clawed hand through his hair. “Can I be honest with you Marinette?” He nuzzled his nose against hers before he moved onto her neck and Marinette sighed at the sudden contact. While it was unexpected, it was welcomed. She felt safe and didn’t worry if he would try to bite her gland. 

“Ye- Yes?” She quietly said into the shell of his ear. Her hands were trembling against the nape of his neck. Her shattered heart, while wary of his movements and words, filled with hope. 

“I don’t think I can control myself around you.” He swallowed, his breath coming out in ragged pants. 

She pulled back and opened her eyes and noticed the glossy hue his eyes had taken. They were light and loving and she could see he was full of want and desire. She was inches away from his lips and in the deepest pockets of her heart, she had a need for his love, wanting nothing more than for him to claim her as his. The feeling was overwhelming, but any of her own feelings of hesitation for the love of this boy could not be contained. She could feel the arousal starting to pool in her belly and his breath tickled her lips. 

“Then don’t.” She whispered loud enough that sent shivers down his spine. 

Adrien’s heart soared at her words. Slowly he moved further into her space to close the gap between them. Her eyes fluttered shut, ready to breath him in, but it was that moment of luck when Simon opened the door for his first required check in and peeked his head through the door. The teens pulled away from each other as quickly as they could, Marinette letting out a sudden squeak before looking over towards the television. Adrien noticed how red her face had become. 

“We- we’re fine, Simon.” Adrien croaked out as he stood up to speak to him out of respect. Marinette gave the bodyguard a thumbs up, but refused to look back in their direction. She finally stood up and walked over to the gaming consoles, inspecting the electronic with her fingers. 

Simon watched the funny interactions and quirked his brow. He pointed to Adrien and then to Marinette before he held up his fist and stuck his index finger into his fist repeatedly. He then gestured a no-no motion while giving his charge a scowl. Adrien furrowed his brows confused at the interaction before turning back over to Marinette. 

“She’s okay. We were just about to play a round of games.” Simon shook his head before gesturing a writing motion on his palm. “We will. One round of games before we go through the homework. Don’t worry.” Simon grunted once more before leaving out the door. 

Adrien rubbed his neck and turned back to Marinette. She still wasn’t looking at him and that worried him more than he cared to admit. Did he say something wrong? Did he move too fast? There were too many questions running through his mind and the last thing he wanted to do was lose her. 

“Marinette?” 

“Y-Yeah?” She stuttered. 

He tried to take a step forward towards her but her frigid stance stopped him. “Hey? Are you okay?” 

She let out a shaky sigh. “Um-” she finally turned around, but didn’t look at him. She stared at the ceiling instead. “Adrien? Look down at your feet.” 

“At my feet?” He questioned slowly before looking down, afraid to see why. But when he did, he noticed the lack of something on the lower half of his body. He froze, a high-pitched wail leaving his body and Marinette let out a little whine of her own. 

“FUCK!” He finally screamed out, grabbing the hem of his sweatshirt and bringing it down over his bare ass and limp cock. “Marinette. I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” 

“Adrien? Just- just go put on pants. Please.” 

Adrien let out another whine before finally making his way to the bedroom, hiding himself from her view. 

Marinette finally looked towards the locked door before sinking down onto her knees. 

* * *

Plagg zipped into Adrien’s view as he hastily put on a pair of pants. “So...” The kwami said nonchalantly as he pretended to look at his paws with curiosity. “You gave your girlfriend a show, huh?” 

The red-faced blond looked over to the god, his face radiating heat from the embarrassment, but he couldn’t say anything in return. All he could do was let out one last whine before hiding behind his hood. 

“Yeah. I know how you feel, kid.” 


	11. Chapter 11

Adrien let out a loud groan as he slammed the snooze button on his phone. It was the first day he was truly allowed to be with people again and Adrien could not contain his excitement. 

Well, he could right this moment. He just wanted to sleep an extra few minutes before actually waking up for the day. 

He nuzzled further into his pillow, a smile on his face as he sighed with relief. He was close to sleep again when the sounds of clicking heels came closer and closer, and Adrien buried his head under the pillow when the loud knock echoed in the room. 

“Adrien!” Nathalie called out to him after the first two knocks. Adrien groaned, wrapping his arms around the pillow to muffle out Nathalie’s voice. 

“Adrien. I know you’re an adult now and that you can handle getting up on your own, but I’m still here to make sure you get ready for school. It’s time to get up.” 

“I’m moving. I’m moving.” Adrien called out, begrudgingly, as he threw the pillow to the side. His alarm rang out again and he scowled at it in hopes that it would shut off on its own. When it didn’t, he sat up on his bed, ignoring the tent that had bestowed itself between his legs, and shut the alarm off before the cheese gremlin stirred. 

“Cheeeeeese.” Plagg cried out and Adrien pulled at his hair. 

“You can’t wait a few minutes until I handle a couple of important things first?” 

“What’s more important than cheese?” Plagg asked sarcastically, rolling over on his back as he patted his stomach. 

“Um. Not cheese.” Adrien rebutted as he got up and walked over towards his closet, trying to shift his cock in a way to annoy him less. Plagg scowled at him. “I have more expectant issues to deal with this morning.” 

“Yeah, like how you’re going to deal with your girlfriend today and every day until you confess to her.” 

Adrien turned around and glared at him before turning towards the bathroom to shower. “You can have cheese when I’m done with my morning routine. AND SHE’S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!” 

Plagg sat and grumbled as he heard the shower turn on and the water cascade followed by a splash as his chosen stepped into it. He zipped over to the television and was about to turn it on as a _meow_ chimed through the room. He rolled his eyes and counted to three before hearing Adrien slip on the wet tile followed by a loud thump, an array of colorful words, and the water turning off before the blonde ran out with only a towel wrapped around his waist and suds still in his hair. 

“Did you have a nice fall?” Plagg wondered without an ounce of care in the world as he turned on the television to scurry through the selection of channels. 

Adrien glared at him again and grabbed his phone, hovering over the notification for the text Marinette sent to him. He hadn’t talked to her since she left Thursday evening and he would be lying if he said he was nervous over what she wanted to say. With an anxious gulp, he clicked open the message. 

**Mari <3: ** _Hey._

**Mari <3: ** _I know we didn’t get a chance to talk this weekend, but I wanted to tell you that I’m glad you’re coming back today._

**Mari <3: ** _I missed you._

She missed him. 

Marinette missed him. 

To say he didn’t feel a hundred times better would be an understatement. When she had left Thursday, there were so many unanswered questions, a hopeful dinner that was never shared, and an awkward tension that remained in the room until Saturday afternoon when he, himself, left the room. He hated what happened, but also completely understood how she felt. 

He was even betting that she wouldn’t be able to look at him at all today. He planned to take it in stride, but he already knew the moment he saw her, he would just run and hide. 

And he only hated himself further for it. 

“I can hear you thinking. Can you just stop? _Please?"_ Plagg ranted. 

“Seriously, Plagg? I’m over here nervous as fuck about how she is feeling and you’re going to chastise me? Would it kill you to be a little helpful for once?” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault you and Marinette didn’t talk about what happened. You should have called your girlfriend Friday after giving her a day to recover.” 

“Why? So I can make her more uncomfortable than how she’s already been feeling? She’s skittish around me enough. The fact that I made her so uncomfortable that she left after we did our homework – and I still can’t believe she stayed that long, by the way – and _I_ should have been the one to reach out to her?” 

“Ugh, yeah?” 

Adrien scoffed. He turned away from the being and walked back into the bathroom, phone in hand, as he thought about what to say to Marinette. He placed the phone on his vanity and paced the length of the room, grunting and growling out the agitation from his chest. Every so often, he stared at the phone, almost stopping his pacing to answer her, but he could never bring himself to do it. 

“Why is this so hard?” Adrien muttered to himself as he grasped the edges of the counter with a squeeze. 

He finally looked at his face in the mirror. He didn’t realize that the lack of sleep over the last few days had finally gotten to him. The bags were heavy enough that even five layers of concealer wouldn’t be able to hide them. He was just lucky that there weren’t any photo shoots planned over the next few days and that maybe he could rest a bit before the next akuma attack struck. 

He was also glad that Hawkmoth didn’t attempt anything during the past week. That would have been an even bigger problem and he wasn’t sure how he would be able to handle _that_. A talk with Ladybug and Plagg will have to happen sooner or later... 

Plagg. 

Adrien let out a tired sigh. Maybe Plagg was right about everything. Maybe he should have called Marinette and talked to her about what happened. Or even actually acknowledging the elephant in the room the moment he walked out of his bedroom with pants on. Maybe he should have grabbed onto her hands and brought her towards the couches so they could sit together to talk about what happened and why he was naked in the first place. Even just explain that her wearing that outfit awakened the beast inside of him. 

But no. Instead, he walked out of the room and pretended nothing happened. He walked up to her and just started talking about homework and video games, avoiding the obvious building tension in the space. She couldn’t even look at him when they talked, and every time she did, she blushed and stuttered. Then whenever Adrien looked her way, she looked at the floor as a nervous reaction. 

He knew how awkward it became. He could smell her pheromones going haywire and it was driving him crazy with a need to calm her down. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t face the fact that he gave his possible mate a peep show and he didn’t have the balls to handle it. 

He didn’t even know if she even felt the same way! 

He deserved being ignored. 

He deserved this morning’s wrath from his kwami. 

He even deserved losing his soulmate over it. 

He deserved- _meow._

Adrien looked down when another text message came through and his heart beat rapidly as her name flashed across the screen. 

**Mari <3: ** _I’m sorry if I did something to make you uncomfortable. I understand if you don’t want to see me today, or talk to me at all. I just want to know what you want so I can give you space._

**Mari <3: ** _I just want what’s best for you, Adrien._

Adrien kneeled onto the ground, his claws scratching the surface as his palms loosened their grip and slipped across the counter top. He could already hear the scolding from Nathalie and his father, but he could care less about it right now. This entire issue was his fault and yet Marinette was blaming herself. 

How could an alpha allow his mate to feel like that? To even give her the satisfaction of blaming herself just to make him feel better? He must be the worst alpha on the planet to allow that to happen. His job is to protect, and yet here he is making her feel worthless. 

No. 

He wasn’t going to stand for it. Not at all. 

**Adrien:** _Hey._

**Adrien:** _1\. You did nothing wrong._

**Adrien:** _2\. I’m the one that should be sorry. And I truly am._

**Adrien:** _And 3. Can we meet before school? I just want to talk to you about Thursday. I think you deserve more than my ignorance for what happened along with a true apology coming directly from my mouth._

Adrien held his breath as he waited for her response. Two minutes passed and she had yet to message him back. He started to pace again before ultimately deciding to finish getting ready. He was able to comb out the suds out of his hair without getting in for a second shower when his phone finally chimed. 

**Mari <3: ** _K_

K? _K!?_ Yeah, he royally fucked up if she only sent him a “k” response to his message. 

Pacing the bathroom nervously, Adrien glanced at his phone one last time before noticing he had five minutes to get ready if he wanted to try and eat something before leaving for school. He reluctantly locked his phone and put on his clothes, grabbing three wedges of Camembert for Plagg as a consolation for his morning banter, and grabbed his school bag before heading out the door. 

“Nathalie!” Adrien called out as he ran down the steps to the foyer. 

Nathalie rushed from her usual location near his father’s atelier and made it to Adrien’s side with little time to spare. “Is something the matter?”

Adrien could see her hair was a bit disheveled and her face was twisted with worry, and Adrien felt another onslaught of guilt as he realized he blurted out her name in a panic.

“Sorry, Nat. I didn’t mean to make you run over.” He rubbed his neck sheepishly as he looked down to his feet.

Nathalie could see that there were a million things running through his mind and placed a loving hand on his shoulder. “Adrien, there is nothing to be sorry about. I came out here on my own terms of distress. Does not mean you should belittle yourself for it.”

Adrien finally looked up at her with sad eyes. “I didn’t sleep much last night, for the last few nights actually, and I’m kind of worried about today.”

“Marinette?” 

“How did you know?” 

“Your father had the same worried look whenever his mate was involved.” She added with a small smile. “Whatever happens will work out in the end. Have trust in your mate and yourself.”

“But what if she hates me over what happened?” 

“You just need to talk to her. That’s the only sound advice I can give you.” 

“Can you- Would I be able to go to school early? I’m hoping that Marinette will meet me there so we can talk before class.”

Nathalie smiled and ran her had down to his forearm to give it a comforting squeeze. “I’ll have the chef prepare your breakfast into a wrap and I’ll notify Simon to prep the car. Five minutes, alright?” 

Adrien smiled back and nodded his head with appreciation. He stepped outside of the mansion doors and sat comfortably on the front steps to wait. The morning sun was slowly peeping through the trees at this time in the morning, and he lifted his face with his eyes shut to enjoy the bit of warmth that he could soak in. The sensation made everything feel new and refreshing, and he didn’t want the feeling to end. He opened his eyes and looked down, his lips turning into a frown. If his day was going to turn around, he needed to start with one miniature being first. 

“I’m sorry, Plagg. You’re right. I should have called her and I should have said something. I just hope I’m not too late.” 

Plagg peeked through the schoolbag enough for his chosen to see his green eyes peering back at him. His eyes were pleading and sad and Adrien knew he felt the same kind of pain he was feeling. “Listen, kid. Things always have a way of working out in the end. You just need to talk to her. Okay? Just take it one step at a time. If she’s truly your mate, then you can wait for her to forgive you or talk to you to resolve what needs to be resolved.” 

Adrien nodded and pointed to the slices of Camembert waiting for him to devour. Plagg raced back into the bag as quickly as he could, and Adrien stood up as he heard the car stop in front of the steps. Simon removed himself from the vehicle and opened the door, a wrapped treat in his hand. 

“Thanks, Simon.” 

The bodyguard grunted and closed the door once Adrien stepped inside. They made their way towards the school, but Adrien’s knees bounced with nervousness along the way. He watched the passing buildings blur beside him and he sighed to get rid of the bubbling nerves that tried to suffocate his lungs. 

When Simon reached the school, Adrien stepped out and stood on the stairs until his bodyguard was out of view. He then walked towards the bench the two always sat at when they wanted to get away and chat, and Adrien sat down unceremoniously. He placed his bag beside him and leaned his elbows against his knees, running his hand through his hair. His knee jerked in nervousness again, but Adrien refused to try and stop it. 

He just couldn’t. 

His nerves were getting to him and he could feel himself forgetting to breathe. At one point, he felt a sudden pressure to his chest, but he resolved it to being Plagg phasing from the bag into his shirt and pressing his calming paws against him. 

It was just the thing he did when Adrien started to spiral. And he couldn’t have been more thankful for the little being to help him in trying to calm down. 

All of a sudden, there was a change in the air. At first, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the smell reminded him of home. It was faint, extremely faint to the point that it shouldn’t have been able to smell, but he knew what it was. 

_Vanilla._

Adrien lifted himself up from his slouched position and tilted his nose into the air. He inhaled deeply and his expression relaxed. He ended the inhale with a loud sigh. He continued to sniff the air again and again until the hurt, the nervousness, and the guilt left his body. He relished in the sudden calmness when someone from behind him cleared her throat. 

Okay, so maybe it’s not just the rut as he originally, _originally_ thought. 

He turned around slowly and noticed Marinette rubbing her arm as she bit her lower lip. She looked vulnerable and shy and absolutely gorgeous in her midnight blue short overalls. He appreciated the simple white, off-the-shoulder top that fitted her torso, the pair of black ballet flats, and the way her hair was tied into a simple ponytail with a white rose adorned to the side of it. 

Adrien couldn’t help but stare and he blushed when he noticed her cheeks turning a slight shade a red. He jumped up and stayed in front of the bench, still a few steps away from her as she stood a few steps behind the bench, afraid to remove the safety of the barrier between them. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. 

“Hi.” She said quietly, her eyes momentarily glaring at the floor before she looked back in his direction. 

“Hi.” He replied with the same hushed tone. He gave her a small smile. “I didn’t think you would come.” 

She furrowed her brows at his words. “I sent you a message saying I would meet you here. You didn’t get it?” 

Adrien looked confused before going through his bag to find his phone. He could see the notification light flash green and he swiped open his phone to reveal her message. 

**Mari <3: ** _I’ll be outside the school in 20. I’ll meet you on the bench._

“I- I didn’t see it.” He looked up at her and pocketed the phone. He gestured to the empty space beside him. “Do you want to sit?” 

Marinette nodded and sat down. She waited to see what he wanted to say, giving him a few moments to compose himself. Adrien closed his eyes and inhaled her scent before opening his eyes and starting. 

“I wanted to apologize for what happened Thursday.” He began. “I shouldn’t have pretended like nothing happened when something very clearly happened and Simon caught me being accidentally half naked.” 

Marinette let out a little giggle, before covering it up with her hand. “Sorry.” She said bashfully, feeling a bit guilty as she laughed at his expense. 

Adrien didn’t feel the least bit offended; he was just happy that she was laughing over it! Maybe this conversation wouldn’t be as difficult as he thought it would be. 

“No. Don’t be sorry. It was so embarrassing. I still feel bad about it, but I wanted to be honest about what happened. I was just so mortified that night that my fight-or-flight response to the situation left me all flight and no fight. I was a serious chicken and I’m sorry for that.” 

“At least you’re a cute chicken.” She added, albeit shyly. Adrien’s heart swelled as she complimented him even though he should have been yelled at or his heart trampled on instead. Maybe it was a dream he was experiencing and not the real thing. It would only be his bad luck if that was the case. 

He gazed into her eyes and could see the sincerity in them before deciding to reach out and touch her fingers. When she didn’t pull away, he slowly traced his fingers against hers and she, in turn, flipped her hand over to interlock her fingers with his. 

That was all the encouragement he needed to continue. He looked at their hands and spoke to her. 

“Before you came over, I spent all day dealing with the repercussions of my rut. It all started from the dream I had the night before. I dreamed about this gorgeous, raven-haired girl with these dazzling blue eyes. She was wearing this gorgeous black night set and her hair was loose around her shoulders.” Adrien looked up at her through his lashes, his face never moving from its position. “She walked in wearing these cute red pumps and a lollipop teasing me in between her lips.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened as her mouth parted slowly and a near silent gasp left her lips. 

“So when I was told that you had arrived, my little ‘friend’ decided to be rude and show up at the most inopportune time. I was in the shower to cool off, but... it didn’t work. When I walked back out and saw that you were wearing a black dress, red heels, with a lollipop in your mouth, my ‘friend’ decided to be a jackass and I couldn’t handle my own desires anymore. 

“Marinette, I'm sorry I had made you uncomfortable when you left. But when I had left you alone, I only went to take care of myself because you have been filling my senses in the most tantalizing and amazing ways. But then all of a sudden, the sweet scent that was calming me down turned into something so disturbing. I knew something was wrong the moment it switched.” 

Adrien looked up at her completely. “You were freaking out. You were spiraling and my intuition was telling me to go find you and protect you. So instead of fixing myself properly, I ran out and tried to find you. To protect you. To console you in any way that I could.” 

“Adrien.” Marinette finally cried out, nervously. She brought her free hand up to his face and caressed his cheek and Adrien nuzzled into it. 

He brought his free hand to cover hers and lightly grasped onto it, keeping her palm against his cheek as he continued with what he had to say. 

“Marinette. I’ve been dreaming about you for days. At first, I was so confused. I didn’t understand why I was dreaming about you like that. I felt like a complete creep and I was hating myself for thinking of you in those ways. But then all I could smell was vanilla and then the research I did and the self-isolation, and... and the thinking... oh the thinking! Marinette, all I could think about was what our years together have been like and how I’ve only treated you different from everyone else and I was so stupid in realizing why. An ultimate, oblivious fool who couldn’t figure it out before his freaking rut. But yet here I am, a damn fool who just wants to know if you’ve had the dreams, too. If you’ve felt something different towards me over the last four years we’ve been friends. If there has been a connection building that we were both unsure of.” 

Adrien let out a bitter laugh before bringing both her hands together in his and looking into her eyes to show her that what he meant was genuine. “But I won’t lie. I’m scared. I’m terrified that you don’t feel the same way and that I’ll be the alpha that loses his mate before moving forward even a single step. And while I'm scared, I don’t want you to tell me you feel the same just for pity, because I would never want to take you away from who you are truly meant to be with. And that is all I want for you. To love someone who deserves your love, and your happiness...” he looked down to their hands for a second as he swallowed the thick lump in his throat, “even if that means it’s not with me.” 

Marinette eyes were filled with tears as her chest constricted with so much love for this boy. Her heart screamed to comfort him and protect him and love him in the way he deserved to be loved, and she would do anything to make sure he knew that completely. She brought their hands to her face as she placed a lingering kiss to his knuckles before looking up at him with a loving smile. 

“Adrien.” She began and she could feel his heart begin to race through his fingertips. “You have no idea how happy I am that you are saying all of this. All week, since the start of your rut, I have been having dreams about you. I confess that I came on Thursday with a little theory to test out. I wanted to know if you would react to what I was wearing.” She let out a small giggle. “While I wasn’t expecting you to react like _that_ , and yeah, I was spiraling thinking you hated my scent, but that night, while I was alone? It only made me realize that we had the same dream the night before. And the way you were holding me when you were trying to care for me? It only made my connection to you so much stronger.” 

She smiled as she noticed his relieved expression. “While I hoped to talk about it when it happened, I knew exactly how you felt when you accidentally revealed yourself like that. But just so you know. I did not see a thing. I realized that I could feel parts of your body that I shouldn’t, but I didn’t actually see it with my own eyes.” 

Adrien’s eyes widened and he let out a sigh of relief. “Oh my god. And here I was thinking you... saw it. I don’t know if feeling it was worse than seeing it though.” 

“Can I tell you a tiny secret?” Adrien nodded and Marinette leaned in a little closer to him before lowering her voice to a near whisper. “I didn’t mind it one bit.” 

Adrien sat there with pursed lips and a muffled wheeze trying to burrow its way out of his mouth. His eyes were wide and he did not know what to make of this newly acquired information. 

He pinched himself for good measure. 

The pain in his arm made him realize this was his reality and he looked at her one more time for confirmation. Her face was slightly red and she ducked her head, peering at him through her long lashes. Her bottom lip was caged in between her teeth, and all he wanted to do was bite them free. 

But he was a gentleman. 

He lifted his thumb to her lip and pulled it free, caressing the slightly swollen muscle to sooth it. “We wouldn’t want those pretty lips to bruise, now would we?” 

Marinette shook her head slowly and licked the spot. Adrien licked his own lips as he envisioned how soft they would really feel against his. It seemed like Marinette had the same idea as she leaned in a bit towards him, and he unconsciously did the same. 

“Marinette!” A shrill voice called out from the path a few meters away from their position, and Marinette moved her head away as she removed her hands from his. 

He already missed the warmth. 

She looked over his shoulder and found the person who called out to her. 

“Alya...” Marinette breathed out a bit vexed. Adrien chuckled at the disruption and Marinette ultimately giggled alongside him. 

She could wait for whatever would come their way as long as she could stare into his precious green eyes in the meantime. 

They waited four years to be together. What’s another 10 minutes? 


	12. Chapter 12

“You’re here early.” Alya noted when she reached the bench. 

Marinette looked at her friend and felt a little frazzled. She didn’t want to explain what had just transpired, but she needed to come up with something so they could be clear of any suspicions. 

“Just wanted to catch Adrien up with some of the stuff he missed over the last week.” Marinette quipped quickly. Adrien looked between Marinette and Alya, then smiled at Alya with an infectious grin. He was thankful for Marinette’s quick words. 

Alya raised an eyebrow at the two, but decided to continue. “How you doing, sunshine? Feeling better?” 

“So much better. Being cooped up in a room for a full week on your own is no fun. It was nice for Nino and Marinette to come by. It sucks that you couldn’t come over too, but it is definitely better to be out of the house and out in public again.” 

“I could have come by if you wanted me to! You know I would have. But, yeah. I bet the loneliness was a bit daunting. Too bad you didn’t have a _mate_ to help you through all that.” Alya tapped her finger to her chin, all while looking at Marinette when she enunciated the word “mate”. Marinette looked away and blushed. “But, it’s no big deal. You’ll find her eventually.” She added with a sarcastic shrug. 

“She’ll come into my life eventually. And when that happens, I’ll be waiting with open arms.” He opened his arms wide to validate his words. 

“Whoever this girl is, Adrien, she’ll be one lucky girl.” Marinette said, placing a hand to his forearm, bringing his arms back down to his sides. Adrien blushed. 

Alya was about to comment when the loud slaps of running feet could be heard headed towards them. The three friends turned towards the noise and noticed the boy with the red cap and a goofy grin turning the corner. Adrien quickly excused himself as he got up and ran towards his best friend, engulfing him in a tight and lengthy bro-hug when they finally met. 

Alya and Marinette chuckled. The latter shook her head as she peered back at her best friend. “I know he’s yours, Als, but seriously, I’m surprised Nino isn’t his mate.” 

Alya continued to stare at the boys who were now laughing and dancing in the middle of the sidewalk. “I got lucky, I guess. They _are_ made for each other, though I have no idea why.” 

“Number one reason: they’re dorks.” She deadpanned before they both fell into a fit of giggles. Marinette was the first to recover. “We should probably get the two lovebirds inside. School will be starting soon.” 

“Hold up, M.” Alya abruptly stopped her laughter and placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her friend in her spot. “You didn’t call me this weekend. What’s up with that? Are you hiding something from me?” 

Marinette shrugged. “Not at all. I had a few commissions to take care of, my parents needed help in the bakery, and I was finishing up that report that’s due this week. I didn’t even have a chance to talk to Adrien and you know we talk almost every night. Needless to say, I was busy.” While all of that was true, she knew the type interrogation Alya would try to unleash on her. Sometimes it was easier to keep her at arm's length with a dissuasion than to admit the truth at its entirety. 

“And you’re sure nothing happened between you and Adrien on Thursday.” It wasn’t a question. 

“I told you this on Friday and I’ll say the same thing today.” Marinette spit out, exasperated. “Nothing happened. I walked in, we hung out, did some homework, and I left.” 

Alya gave her a curious eye, not believing the words coming out of her mouth for one second. She wanted to press further, but Marinette’s gaze and sharp words proved it was not worth it to continue. Marinette may be sweet, but her anger was not a force to be reckoned with. 

Marinette refused to back down and she would keep up with the façade until Alya gave up. She and Adrien had a lot to go over before letting anyone into their private lives, especially now knowing that they were bound to each other. Even though she and Adrien finally admitted parts of the truth, she still needed to see what that meant for their relationship. It may seem like they will be steering towards courting – and boy did she hope that was the case – but things could also change in an instant once she matured. 

Maturing into an alpha would only kill their relationship, not allow it to prosper. 

Marinette bit her lip as she looked towards her mate. _Her mate._ Having that knowledge brought a slew of happy tingles to run down her skin, allowing plenty of calming emotions to come through. It seemed that Adrien could sense the change as he briefly sniffed the air and looked towards her direction, smiling brightly at her before turning back to his friend to listen to whatever he was saying. 

Seeing Adrien happily conversing with Nino swelled her heart with affection. She could see the sweet, gentle smile that was plastered on his face, and Marinette could only hope that she would be able to give him everything he truly needed. She feared that she wouldn’t be able to help him during his ruts, or protect him when he needed protection, or even love him to the best of her abilities, but nothing would hurt her worse if she did something for their relationship to shatter into pieces. 

She wasn’t sure when her maturity would happen, but she assumed it would happen soon with the way things have been going. The most important thing to do would be to take it slow with Adrien and focus on learning what each other will need to keep their relationship strong. If that meant keeping their relationship hidden for a while, then fine, she would be okay with that. It’s not like keeping secrets was new to her. While she hated it, this particular secret needed to be kept from her family and friends, or else they would be in danger if they knew who she was beneath her clumsy exterior. 

Yet she knew that deep down inside, this particular secret in any relationship would be the biggest downfall, and the sheer thought of losing Adrien because of it shattered her own heart into pieces. 

Sometimes being Ladybug was both a curse and a blessing all in one package. 

Without even thinking, the pain in her heart caused Adrien to turn around with a worried expression. She could see Nino calling out to Adrien, yet he wasn’t listening. Nino placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder and he finally turned back to his friend, a fake smile and a plausible excuse waving any confusion off. 

Trying to avoid any further issue with her pheromones, Marinette sucked up her feelings and started to walk towards the boys. Alya was by her side continuing to watch the silent interaction between Marinette and Adrien. 

“Not your mate, huh?” Alya deadpanned, bringing Marinette’s mind back to where she stood. 

_Maybe keeping a secret between their friends was going to be a lot harder than she thought._

Marinette chose to ignore the brunette without another word and reached the boys. 

“Hey guys. Looks like someone’s happy for their best friend to be back.” Nino nodded excitedly. 

Alya jokingly elbowed Adrien in the side. “What’s the matter, sunshine? You looked you were in the twilight zone. Scared to go into school after being gone for a week?” 

“No... Not at all. I was just worried that I forgot something at home.” 

“I think they would give you a pass for today if you forgot something.” 

“Yeah, but my dad wouldn’t.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “But it’s all good. What I thought about isn’t even needed for today.” 

The group headed inside and made their way to their lockers, conversing about the weekend while gathering their books for the first couple of classes. Alya waved Adrien and Marinette off, grabbing onto her mate’s hand before they walked out the door and up the stairs towards the classroom. 

Adrien blushed as he stood beside Marinette and she shyly looked at him through her lashes. Now that their feelings were out in the open and mostly unspoken, the tension between them seemed thick. 

Adrien cleared his throat to gain her attention. “H- hey. Are you... okay? I felt like something was bothering you outside.” He said quietly as he rubbed his neck. 

Stepping a bit closer to him, Marinette answered; her voice calm. “Yeah. I was just thinking about something. But now I’m thinking that you’re going to go crazy over my emotions now.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, Adrien. Did you forget?” She asked, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m an emotional wreck. I go from being extremely happy, to stressed out, to depressed, to fine within a day. If you can sense and smell every single change when I’m around you, you’re going to get whiplash.” 

Adrien chuckled. “Guess it’s a risk I’m willing to take.” He noticed the slight blush that brushed her cheeks. 

Adrien looked around and realized that they were alone in the spacious room. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it for comfort, then brought it up to his lips to place a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. Watching Marinette go from pink to red was going to be his favorite thing about her; he already knew it. 

“I- I didn’t tell Alya what happened on Thursday. I w- wanted to talk to you first before I said anything. You know how she gets.” 

Adrien paled. “I, uh, kind of said something to Nino when he came by.” He could see Marinette about to panic so he continued. “You heard that I almost attacked him, right?” Marinette nodded. “Well, he deserved to know – _his words, not mine_ – with what the hell was wrong with me. And I thought that any lie that I would have tried to tell him wouldn’t make any sense. So, in the end, I just told him what I was going through and asked him for his advice.” 

“Did you talk to him after Thursday, though?” 

Adrien shook his head. “Not about what happened between us. I also wanted to talk to you first.” 

Marinette squeezed his hand to reassure him. “Hey. I understand and I agree. Attacking or almost attacking a beta for no reason would be questionable.” She bit her lip. “Can you at least tell me if it was the shirt that set you off?” She looked at his torso and was surprised to see her creation on him. She thought with what had happened, he would have forgotten. “Oh! And you’re wearing it!” 

Adrien grinned and brought the shirt to his face with his free hand. He took in a small whiff and let out a little hum of approval. “Mm. Still smells like you. Of course, I would wear it. Nino told me you wanted me to. I’m glad I had enough recollection this morning to put it on.” She giggled and he squeezed her hand back once more before letting go. They both turned and walked side-by-side as they made their way to the classroom. “And yes...” he drawled, “I smelled your pheromones and went off thinking he touched it.” 

Marinette shook her head with a slight chuckle. “I knew it.” 

Adrien turned to her before the duo made it through the door. “Hey. Do you want to grab lunch together? Somewhere we can talk about this whole thing?” 

“Y-yeah.” She stuttered and mentally slapped herself. Adrien smirked. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll just let my mom know.” 

“Let your mom know what?” Alya questioned curiously with a grin on her face. Nino sat in his usual spot and waved at the two as they walked into the classroom. 

“Just grabbing lunch together instead of me eating at home.” Marinette added, not thinking. 

“Huh. Grabbing lunch together. Alone.” 

Marinette could already see that Alya was desperately trying to get something out of them. “No. _No!_ ” She managed to speak out, albeit nervously. “We were inviting you too! We had only just talked about getting lunch together and I mentioned that I needed to let my parents know.” 

“I’m up for food. Where to?” Nino added, salivating as he thought about lunch. Alya tried to hold back a laugh. 

Adrien scratched his cheek. “What about the bistro down the street? They are fast and have some pretty decent food. I usually go there if I have a chance between modeling. We can even sit outside if it's nice out and there’s space.” 

“I’m down. What about you, babe?” 

Alya smirked. “Oh. I’m down.” 

Marinette shrugged at Adrien, a silent apology crossing between their gazes as she passed him and sat at her seat. He responded in kind and sat in his chair in front of her, twisting in his seat to chat with the group until class started. They continued their conversation about lunch as if nothing awkward had just transpired, yet none of the members of their group noticed a certain someone listening in a few rows behind them. 

* * *

Homeroom mostly went without any issues. Marinette sat in her chair behind him and Adrien was able to focus on Ms. Roux’s announcements. Every so often, he could smell the tiny traces of Marinette’s pheromones, and Adrien was quick to stop whatever he was doing so he could take in the scent. He started to notice the little ramblings and shifting behind him, and Nino had to kick-check his chair at one point when the teacher noticed Adrien staring out into space without blinking. 

Blushing, Adrien was glad that they were ushered out to their next class. After saying goodbye to Alya and Nino, he and Marinette made their way towards their literature class. Adrien could sense how much more relaxed she felt now that they were gone. 

“Was Alya tensing you up that much?” Adrien questioned her quietly as he leaned down to say it into the shell of her ear. 

Marinette was glad that he did. Adrien had quite a growth spurt over the last two years, making him now about a foot taller than she was. While the height difference annoyed her to no end – especially being the shortest of their little group – Marinette could agree that his height suited him well. Between that, his model-approved diet, and his almost daily workouts, Adrien’s toned body did wonders to her libido heart. 

She was still in disbelief that Adrien was her mate and that she would get to one day kiss, touch, and feel up his body and fuc- 

_“Marinette?"_

Marinette blushed at his timely disruption, but didn’t turn to look at him for fear he would catch onto her wandering thoughts. 

“She doesn’t tense me up. I just don’t want her to get suspicious about what’s going on between us until we talk about it. Which I'm sorry by the way. I didn’t mean to accidentally oust us like that. I’m so dumb.” 

“Hey. None of that.” Adrien scolded her tenderly while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She finally looked at him. “She’s persuasive.” 

“That’s the understatement of the century.” 

The two walked into the classroom and sat beside each other at their desk. Mr. Lovell started with his lecture, and Adrien spent most of the class trying to focus on his lesson. He perched his chin on his fist to keep his head straight towards the board, but every so often, Adrien glanced to the side with only his eyes. He watched as Marinette diligently took notes, her gaze floating up towards the teacher every so often. Her ponytail fell to the side as she tilted her head, the longer pieces grazing her arm as her head bounced up and down in a repetitive motion. 

It was almost mesmerizing. 

All he wanted to do was run his fingers through her locks and wrap the ponytail around his fist. He wanted to tilt her neck to the side to allow him as much access as possible to nuzzle into her neck, smelling her scent, and kissing and nipping at it with his teeth. He wanted to lick her gland and bite down until it oozed her scent and mixed it with his. To claim her as his and have her do the same to him. To lay her down on his bed and make love to her in a way that would entice his desires. To fill her with his seed and watch as her belly filled until it was ready to burst finishing the motion by knotting her as he laid with her. To marry her and have her bear his children until they grew old together- 

He didn’t notice Mr. Lovell calling his name until the teacher stood right in front of him. 

“Care to enlighten the class what is so interesting about your desk mate?” 

Adrien pursed his unintentional grin into a thin line and slowly sat up until his spine was ramrod straight. His eyes grew to be as large as saucers once he realized that his thoughts had crossed over onto his facial expressions. He cleared his throat as he scratched his neck nervously. 

“Um. Well...” He started, trying to find a plausible excuse. “I thought I smelled something different in here and it took me for surprise.” 

“That’s right. You matured last week – an alpha, correct?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Hmm.” He slyly looked over to Marinette, who was staring at the two intently, then back to Adrien. “Just try to keep your hormones to yourself. Newly minted alphas usually have more adjustments to make than other roles, but I will not tolerate any _animalistic_ tendencies in my class. Understood?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

As Mr. Lovell made his way back to the board, Adrien could hear two telltale voices snickering from one of the desks furthest from him. Both Adrien and Marinette turned around to see. 

“Ugh. It’s just Jordan.” Marinette whispered to Adrien. “Looks like he and _the one who shall not be named_ are chatting away.” 

Adrien noticed Jordan winking at Marinette suggestively. Marinette let out a disgusted scoff and Adrien could feel a sudden urge to protect. Jordan bared his fang with a lopsided snarl of his lips and gestured a middle finger towards Adrien. 

The intense growl had accidentally left his lips. 

And according to Adrien, so did the hefty pounce from his seat towards the other male. 

Marinette watched with worry as Adrien was escorted out of the classroom and sent to the principal’s office to be reprimanded. 

* * *

“Dude, seriously?” Nino leaned back in the chair with one elbow over the backrest while the other grabbed a fry from his plate. 

“Yup.” Adrien ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm down from the disaster of the morning. “Now I have detention every day this week. My dad is going to flip.” 

“And him baring his fang threw you for a loop?” Alya stared at him, fascinated over what she missed this morning. Marinette looked at her plate and moved her fries around with her fork. 

“He also flipped me off.” 

“But I do that to you all the time, bro!” 

“But you’re my bro and a beta. He’s an asshole alpha that thinks the sun rises and sets on his ass. There’s a difference.” 

“But that shouldn’t be the only reason to set you off.” Alya grabbed a fry and tapped it against her lips. Her eyes then slowly glanced towards Marinette and a smile curled her lips. “Unless your mate was in the room and you needed to protect her.” 

Marinette dropped her fork and looked up at her. “Alya...” She started to chide before Adrien jumped in. 

“Nothing else happened. I got distracted. The asshole alpha- 

“-Jordan-” Marinette added in swiftly. 

“- _asshole_ flipped me off and set me off.” Adrien took a small bite of his sandwich and swallowed. “Then I punched him in the face.” 

He added the last line with a smug smile, one that meant he didn’t feel guilty for doing so and was happy it was finally done. Jordan always rubbed him the wrong way; he just wished he knew why. 

“It’s so unlike you, though. I mean, Mr. Sunshine has at least _one_ mean bone in his body? It’s crazy!” 

Adrien shrugged. “Maybe it’s the alpha in me. I don’t know.” 

Marinette looked at him and patted his hand. “Well hopefully Jordan will leave you alone. The bloody nose was pretty bad. I’m surprised he didn’t go to the nurse’s office to clean himself up.” 

“And I’m surprised you didn’t get suspended!” Nino added, rubbing his cap against his head. 

“Jordan’s too much of a big shot to go to the nurse.” He sneered before rolling his eyes. “But from what Mr. Caldwell said, new alphas have a grace period. We can’t control our hormones very well in the beginning so if something like this happens within the first month of maturity, well, they pass it off with detention. After that, though, it’ll be suspension. They still called home though, so I just can’t wait to see my father. I can already imagine how this conversation is going to go.” 

Marinette frowned at him before looking back out towards the street. All of a sudden, Marinette stilled. She tensed up and Adrien could smell the anger and anxiousness mixing in with her scent. 

Adrien looked up and noticed Marinette’s frozen stare. Whatever was behind him was troubling her and Adrien’s intense need to protect came in full force. An awful scent filled the space around him and he couldn’t help but lift his nose to sniff it, growling at the intrusion with his fangs bared. He started to claw at the table in response. 

Marinette’s eyes widened at Adrien’s quick change of expression, and her heart leaped in her chest. Alya and Nino had been focused on their lunch to notice their surroundings, but the intense growl startled them back to the table. Nino was the first to jump away once he realized _who_ had emitted the noise, and Alya’s eyes bounced between the two boys, confused at what was happening. 

“Hey guys!” The familiar saccharine voice called out and Marinette visibly paled. 

Adrien knew that voice. It was the only voice that made his skin burn. 

_“Lila...”_


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. _GUYS. _My goodness. I just want to say THANK YOU!!!! I can’t believe this story has reached over 28,000 views and reached over 1,000 kudos. I’m shocked. I never imagined that this story would take off like it did, and I have been absolutely blessed with the outcome.__
> 
> __I started writing this story because I was fascinated with a/b/o and there weren’t enough stories in the MLB fandom to quench my thirst. Writing this story feels surreal and I’m so excited to share the story with you!_ _
> 
> __I’m still keeping up with the weekly updates (albeit late a day or so), and have reworked my outline again and again. It is a constant battle because once I start writing, I don’t control them. The thoughts just flow on the paper and I just go with it._ _
> 
> __This story has three arcs. We are close to reaching the end of arc 1, but there’s still plenty of story that needs to be written. I’m already planning about 30+ chapters and it will be at least close to, if not over, 100,000 words._ _
> 
> __So, thank you. From the bottom of my butt (because it’s bigger than my heart) thank you for the comments, kudos, subscriptions, and just reading this story. You guys motivate me to keep going and I promise I will!_ _
> 
> __Now, sit back and enjoy the chapter!_ _

“What a coincidence seeing you all here!” Lila cheerily called out as she made her way towards the group. 

Alya looked behind the two boys to see the brunette calling from her position on the side walk. She gave Lila a meek smile before her eyes darted back to Adrien and Nino, the latter finally reacting to the growl and leaning into the former to calm him down. 

Of all the years Alya has known Adrien, she had never seen him coil into himself as he had done, his eyes brimmed with anger, his fangs bared through snarled lips, and his hands clenched into fists. 

Nino focused his attention on the alpha, furiously whispering something into his ear. She could see the intense tension in Adrien’s shoulders finally subsiding and his stare sobering. Alya looked back to Lila and realized that no one had spoken up yet, so Alya stuffed another French fry into her mouth as she waved the girl down and finished with an exaggerated swallow. 

“Hey, girl. Sorry. Chewing. Don’t want to spit at Nino accidentally.” She added with a dry laugh and a sip to her drink. 

“Oh, please. Don’t worry about it!” Lila waved the lie off. “I happened to be in the neighborhood. I have a charity trip coming up and one of the humanitarian projects I’m heading is to help ask for donations to acquire an array of musical instruments. While I was looking around the area, I said, why not just buy them everything instead of asking people to donate? In fact, I just came from Lefleur’s Musical Emporium and bought out the entire store for the children’s orphanage in Uganda!” She finished with her hands clenched to her chest in excitement. 

Alya smiled. “That’s incredible, Lila. Those kids are so lucky to have someone like you to help them out.” 

“It’s such hard work, but I’m so glad that I can be there for them. Some of them use trash to play. It’s absolutely terrible.” Lila said while wiping away a stray tear. “I only want the best for them. I just hope people will start donating to the charity soon and then we can build some more schools and a hospital to combat all the disease. Maybe I can even find someone to donate their time to teach the children how to play. Of course, I would have to find someone willing to move there for a few months to help teach one of the adults the ropes, but I’m sure I can find someone soon. I would do it, of course, but with all my other charities and projects, there’s just no way for me to take time out of my busy schedule to do it.” 

“Well, next time you have a charity drive to gain donations, let us know. You know we would all love to help out.” 

“Thank you. Your kind words mean the world to me. This project is so close to my heart.” 

Nino looked up from Adrien’s calm form to wave to Lila. “Yeah. If you need a DJ for your next event, you let me know. I’ll be willing to donate my time to help out.” 

Lila fluttered her eyes and pressed her fingers to her chest. “You guys are seriously the best. Thank you! But work does not come without a consequence, though, and I'm famished. Since I was passing through to get back to school, I couldn’t help but see that you guys were here. I just thought I would say hi to you guys and maybe join you all for lunch.” 

“Um. I don’t mind...” She said hesitantly, turning to Nino for his answer. Nino looked back at Alya and then turned around to shoot a smile at Lila, all while keeping his hand firmly on Adrien’s forearm. 

Alya turned to Marinette for her confirmation and noticed that her lips were tightly pressed into a thin line, her eyes focused on Adrien’s form. She quickly nudged Marinette’s elbow and brought the bluenette back to the café table. 

Marinette’s focus finally turned from Adrien to Alya, with Alya nudging her head towards Lila. Marinette looked up and tried to paste on a friendly smile, both as a way to make the liar feel somewhat welcomed but in a way that the girl would eventually get the hint and leave. 

When she didn’t, she decided to cut to the pleasantries. 

“Lila,” Marinette welcomed bitterly in between clenched teeth. “Nice to see you here.” 

Lila’s eyes quickly changed from friendly, to disgust, and then back to friendly. It was so quick and smooth that if Marinette wasn’t glaring directly at her, she would have easily missed it. The repugnant feeling was mutually shared between the two and the anger started to bubble up in Marinette’s chest again. 

“Marinette!” Lila called out with a flick of her hair. “You look absolutely adorable in that getup!” 

“Thank you?” Marinette retorted, a little taken back by the compliment, but she knew how empty it was. There was nothing complimentary about this girl. 

Lila walked around the boys and leaned on her palms on top of the table in the clear space between Marinette and Adrien. She looked at Marinette as if to see her outfit a bit clearer, then her eyes brightened at the flower in her hair. 

“Oh my goodness. Is that a white rose in your hair? I absolutely adore white roses. They’re my favorite flower!” 

Marinette reached up and touched the accessory, forgetting for a moment it was there. 

“Yes. I made it with some leftover scraps of white lace and satin.” 

“It’s absolutely gorgeous. And you made that! That’s incredible. You are so talented.” 

Marinette began to feel sick over the fake sincerity that was dripping from her lips. She wanted the girl to leave; to allow her friends a quiet afternoon where they could chat and enjoy the free hour to themselves, but she already knew there was no way Lila would willingly leave without a reason. While Alya and Nino had nothing against her, both she and Adrien couldn’t stand the girl. The obvious lies she spewed were becoming more and more frequent and the cover ups on top of cover ups over the last three years were starting to catch up to her. It was becoming apparent that she needed a way to protect herself from the backlash in any possible way. In her warpath, she’s torn down models to rise to the top, even to the point of sabotaging wardrobes and faulting the blame on others in order to save her face. It’s become completely abhorrent. But with no proof, there was no way to destroy her completely. 

If only the karma of self-sabotage could have happened already. 

Marinette realized Lila was still talking to her, but the sounds and the words were not registering. She was then late to notice that Lila had started to reach out to touch the rose in Marinette’s hair, her other hand simultaneously and inconspicuously being placed on the edge of the tray. Marinette leaned back in an attempt to put herself out of Lila’s reach, but the chair could only go so far without scraping against the pavement in retaliation. All of a sudden, a hand had wrapped around Lila’s wrist and a tall body separated the two females. 

Marinette blinked and looked up. In between her thoughts and the commotion, Adrien had growled and hoisted himself from his seat, stopping Lila from causing more harm than necessary. Alya and Nino looked at the blonde with sheer shock coursing through their veins and watched intently as words failed to pass from their tongues. 

Lila looked up to see Adrien leaning in towards her, his fangs exposed as the fire in his eyes intensified. She forcefully removed her wrist from his grasp and pulled her hand back into her chest to massage the muscle. A mischievous glint crossed her eye while a shameless sneer crested her lips, all while she looked at Adrien from head to toe as if he was a piece of meat to be won. Adrien snarled in disgust, sniffing the air once more before eyeing the girl with another growl. 

“Lila. I don’t believe Marinette would appreciate you touching her.” Adrien hissed. 

Lila flipped a loose lock over her shoulder and pressed her fingers to her chin. “Whoops. I’m so sorry, Marinette. Didn’t mean any harm.” She replied flatly. 

Adrien stood straight up, the aura in the space shifting. Lila could feel the change and narrowed her eyes, her lips pursed into a thinly pressed line. She took one step forward, yet Adrien kept his position, refusing to allow Lila to move passed him or allow her to touch his mate. 

“Adrien.” Lila enunciated slowly and seductively. She straightened herself up, confident that she can get through to him with her words. “Your protectiveness is quite attractive. You know, I’m an omega myself. You could probably smell my pheromones. Isn’t it sweet and tasty, just to your liking?” 

Adrien sniffed the air again for good measure, knowing exactly how badly she stunk up the space. He shot her a bitter smile, one that sent a slew of inconspicuous shivers down her spine. Lila’s smile faltered some, but she kept her stance, proving to him that she was worth his time. 

“See. My scent is perfect for you. You sniffed the air and smiled for me. I must be your mate then. I knew my dreams meant something and that we are meant to be together.” 

“Or it could mean that he can handle your scent, Lila.” Alya added with confusion. She knew that Marinette had dreams of Adrien, and according to Nino, Adrien had dreams of Marinette. She had never heard of anyone dreaming of another person’s mate, but nothing wasn’t completely impossible. Was this one of those rare cases where it was possible that Lila was dreaming of Adrien at the same time as Marinette? 

Adrien started to chuckle until it bloomed into a full-blown laugh and Alya abruptly stopped her thoughts. She looked over to Nino and he exhibited the same confused expression across his usually calm features, and the two watched as Marinette pulled from her abnormally quiet position to place a comforting hand on Adrien’s. He instantly calmed down and looked at Marinette first, giving her the sweetest smile that Alya had seen since Lila had shown up and interrupted their lunch. Adrien turned back to Lila and scrunched up his nose before crossing his arms as if he was ready to spit words. 

And spit he did. 

“Lila. Your scent stinks. No. Not stinks. It fucking reeks. Last time I checked, omegas do not smell as horrid as you. And dreams? Sorry. Last time I checked, I only had one female in my dreams and she is nothing compared to you.” He leaned in towards her and took in another hefty sniff, his eyes changing hues into something more sinister before continuing. “Oh, and I would be careful next time you use scent injectors to force upon an alpha... _beta_. That’s illegal here in Paris. I could be a complete asshole and call the police on you, but I won’t stoop down to your level. So, why don’t you do me a favor and leave me and my friends alone. Your stench is making me lose my appetite and I would really like to finish my meal before time is up.” 

Lila’s jaw dropped at his words, a fleeting mix of emotions starting with anger expressing her features while the bubbling feeling of hate feasted at her insides. Leaning in closer to his tall form, Lila snarled back at him and eyed him with murder in her eyes. “You’ll pay for your words, Agreste. If it’s the last thing I do.” 

“Try me.” 

“Don’t worry. I will.” 

Lila turned on her heel and sauntered away, her heels clicking against the pavement as quickly as she could with the heavy foot traffic. Alya and Nino looked at each other with shock still written on their faces and Adrien sighed in relief as he turned to look at Marinette. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” 

Marinette looked back up at Adrien and blushed. “Yeah. I’m okay. Just annoyed.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive. She just bugs the shit out of me. I can’t stand how I’m still a target even after what you did for me. But why did you do that? I could have handled her myself.” 

“Dude. Are you okay?” Nino interrupted, his faced filled with worry. “Lila eyed you like candy.” 

Adrien physically shivered and Alya looked over to Marinette. 

“Girl. I know you don’t like her, but what is going on? I’ve never seen you physically move yourself away from her.” 

“Usually I don’t. I deal with her and whatever she has in store. But this time I wasn’t paying attention and then all of a sudden, her hand was near my face. It freaked me out. What I don’t get is why all the fakeness? I don’t like her and she doesn’t like me, so why go out of her way to put on a show.” 

“She likes you.” Alya tried to reassure her. “She was complimenting you and everything.” Marinette rolled her eyes. 

“Ugh, babe? Did you not see how she acted towards Adrien?” Nino questioned; his eyebrow raised. “If an alpha was protecting a pup, that means he sensed issues. Lila was lying.” 

Adrien sat back down and poked at his food; his appetite gone now that the altercation had passed. He shot a timid smile towards Marinette, her eyes softening at his attempt to calm her. 

“Nino’s right. Lila lied. She couldn’t have had dreams about me because all of my dreams have been about Marinette.” Adrien finally confessed and he silently apologized to Marinette with his eyes. “There’s no way that she can be my soulmate, mostly for that, but in addition to knowing that her scent is revolting to me.” 

“But did you have to be so mean about it?” Alya questioned, understandably shaken by the revelation. 

“Adrien protected me because he sensed my fear and anger. Lila hates me for standing up against her even to the point of getting me expelled a few years ago.” Alya’s eyes widened at the confession. She opened her mouth to retort, but Marinette trudged forward before she could utter a word. “She hates the fact that she’s a beta and not an alpha or an omega. She so miffed by it that she goes through body modifications to change that part about her. I caught wind of it one day and called her out on it. When she saw that I stood my ground, she threatened me, planted the test notes in my bag, walked down the stairs and pretended that she was pushed down instead, and placed the necklace in my locker. The only reason I got back to school was because Adrien got her to lie against the lie to save face. But because I didn’t have the proof about the scent injections besides my word, I couldn’t say anything. Hopefully now that Adrien sniffed her out, she can’t try to say something without facing consequences.” 

“Dude.” 

“What?” Alya cried out. “She’s the one who did that to you?” 

“Yup.” Adrien added with a click to his tongue, moving the straw of his drink with his fingertip. “And if I didn’t stand in front of Marinette, Lila would have knocked her tray all over Marinette’s lap.” 

Marinette looked to Adrien with a sense of dread. “She didn’t...” 

“She didn’t, but she almost did. Her hand was on the tray. One ‘accidental’ slip of her hand as she was trying to reach to your rose and the tray would have flipped and landed right on your lap.” 

Marinette seethed. “That bitch!” 

Alya placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Marinette. Really. I truly am for thinking that Lila was a decent person. I didn’t realize the amount of poison that spit from her mouth towards you. But why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Because I tried, but you didn’t believe me at first. So I just chose to keep it to myself.” 

Alya turned to Adrien. “And you knew the whole time?” 

He shrugged. “Yeah. I knew she was lying since the beginning. I believed her at first because I thought she was just trying to fit in. But as her lies grew worse, I just kept an arm’s length from her. Especially since my contract requires me to work with her. It’s been a while since I have, but I had to keep the peace for my own sanity. Now that I know I can’t deal with her or her scent, I’m going to tell my father to cancel my contract with her.” 

“Your father will do that?” 

“He has to, or else an insurance policy will have to be placed on her. If I can’t control my emotions, I might rip into her on set. I don’t think Vincent will be happy will blood in the photos.” 

Nino, Alya, and Marinette gagged at the thought. 

“We should probably head back now. School starts back up again in fifteen minutes.” Marinette added, throwing a napkin onto her tray. 

“Let’s go then.” 

* * *

_“-oh, he’s protective of her. That’s for sure.”_

“That Agreste has everything he could ever want, and he gets to be soulmates with Marinette? The fuck.” Jordan fumed as he threw the books in his locker, the phone precariously held between his chin and shoulder. 

_“Now, now, Jordan. She’ll be yours in due time. Patience must be in your corner, my sweet alpha.”_

“Don’t call me that.” He growled. “I’m not yours to have.” 

_“Semantics.”_ Lila cooed to wave him off. _“But that’s not what you said to me last night.”_

“You know as much as I do that that was fair play.” 

_“Yes, my dear. But you know I have that little piece of evidence against you. You do my bidding and I’ll keep you satisfied until you mark your mate.”_

“You know me too well, my dear beta. Maybe I’ll treat you well tonight if your good. Remember, I have a little secret against you too.” 

_“And Adrien now knows about that secret.” She hissed. “You should have done a better job at attacking him today. You got your ass handed to you instead.”_

“Hey, it’s not my fault. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. Who knew the model dweeb packs a punch.” 

_“Well, don’t let it happen again, you hear me? Mess up his pretty little face so Marinette looks at him with disgust. I only need him for his fame. I don’t care about his looks.”_

“Why do I like you again?” 

_“You don’t. You’re using me like I’m using you.”_

“Right. Stupid bitch.” 

_“Bye, babe. See you tonight.”_ She ended the call with a slew of fake kissing noises and he looked at the phone in disgust. 

“Disgusting.” He whispered to himself as he slammed the locker door shut. He thought about the way Lila had threatened him to get her way, and how her scent made him physically ill. The sex was incredible, but with a whore like that, it was bound to be good. 

She didn’t disappoint in that area of expertise. 

Anger bubbled under his skin as he thought about Marinette being with the model. He may have had dreams, but none had shown him the girl’s face. All he could see was dark locks and an athletic physique. Marinette had all those things and more, making her the perfect mate to match his alpha persona. Now all he needed was to mark her and make her his, no matter the cost. Even if that meant Lila holding his secret over his head so she could get her way with Adrien. 

Jordan clenched his fists as he seethed in anger, removing the pocket knife from his pocket. He opened the blade and inspected it, thrumming his finger against the sharp edge. He looked up and started to walk towards the courtyard, unaware of the black butterfly attaching itself to the object as he slid the knife back into his pocket. 


	14. Chapter 14

Jordan ceased in his position as he felt a surge of energy overtake his senses. 

“Ares.” Hawkmoth called out as the emblem overshadowed his eyes. “I am Hawkmoth. I’m giving you the chance to seek the revenge that I can feel coursing through your veins. You will use your blade to overpower those who have gone against you, recruit them for your army, and go to war against those who have wronged you. As for my request, fearless god, is that you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous and you will be able to rule with love and war.” 

“Yes, Hawkmoth.” Jordan growled, accepting the name the super villain gave him. The purple haze covered him entirely and Jordan laughed maniacally as he felt the power raging through his body. 

* * *

The four friends made the slow trek back to the school. Nino and Alya ventured a few steps ahead of Marinette and Adrien, animatedly talking about the most recent tragedy of the XY album. Anytime Nino was passionate about something, he could really give the topic his all, from the words, to the gestures, to the high-pitched noises that he would emit whenever his enthusiasm hit its peak. His actions were almost comical and Adrien tried to hold in the chuckle that had threatened to leave his lips. Alya listened to his words with all the attention she could give him, her arm wrapped around his as she poured every ounce of love that she could through her touch. 

It was something Adrien was slightly jealous of, and it really dawned on him how much he couldn’t wait to have that type of relationship with his mate. 

And he really couldn’t deny anymore that he wanted to have this with Marinette. 

Adrien walked quietly beside the raven-haired girl, both keeping a bit of distance between them. There was a slight tension in the air from the earlier altercation and even a bit of electricity that needed to find its current. The slightest movements Marinette made, Adrien could feel, even noticing the nonchalant way Marinette swayed her hips with each step. He could sense a bit of nervousness, the silent gnawing of her bottom lip, and the way her hands tightened and loosened its grip around the strap of her purse. At one point, he noticed how she looked over towards him, and the moment he turned to look at her, she turned away and moved her hand towards her face, pulling a lock of hair that had fallen over her eyes and back into the now messy bun on the top of her head. 

His eyes continued to drift between Marinette and the sidewalk in front of him, his mind restless with the desire to speak to her while also keeping his silence. The only thing his mind was adamant of was the silent plea and hope for her left hand to stray to her side. He wanted to hold her soft hands, to feel the warmth radiating from her heart, and the only way he would attempt to reach out to her is if she brought her hand down near her hip. 

So, with every step, Adrien took a slight step to his right, adjusting the distance until they were close and merely centimeters apart. He could see Marinette’s eyes drift to an abrupt movement beside her, and she blushed when she noticed how close he had become. 

Marinette’s heart was rapidly beating and she quieted her racing mind to the hope of his sudden closeness. Something within her told her to drop her hand, allowing her arm to drift to her side, her fingers fanning and stretching out before letting them go limp beside her hip. The act of keeping her hand loose felt awkward without something to hold, but she continued to hush her mind as she waited for him to strike first. She continued to, now consciously, sway back and forth, adding a nearly silent hum while she focused her attention to the sidewalk. 

Adrien’s breath hitched at the soothing noise and quickly noticed that her hand had dropped to her side. His mind danced in happiness; the kwami gods have given him a free pass to his bad luck! 

Adrien ran his right hand through his hair as he cleared his throat, then brought it down to his side. He started to blush and his heart picked up speed with the anticipation of what he was about to do. With one last final step to the side as he continued his steps towards the school, Adrien allowed his pinky to brush up against hers. 

Marinette gasped at the sudden contact, but he could hear that the gasp was in excitement rather than unwanted. From his peripherals, he could see her eyes glancing towards his hand before finally taking a chance to look up towards his face. Her eyes widened with glee, and her smile matched the radiance that always seemed to beam off her. 

With all the ounce of power that he could, Adrien kept a neutral face of innocence as he continued to look straight, but the blush on his face betrayed his smoothness. 

Marinette narrowed her eyes and played his game, looking forward as she walked beside him. Suddenly, she brushed her fingers against his, prompting him to glance at her with adoration. Her face lit up again with an added pink blush, and Adrien took this as her approval to wrap his pinky with hers. 

This time, the love that radiated off of her could be felt through her touch and he knew that he couldn’t delay asking her for her hand in courting. Keeping his eye on his friends, he calculated the distance from their position to the school, wanting to keep this conversation as private as possible without their friends overhearing. 

His Agreste-renowned self-control was breaking and Adrien could count on one hand the amount of times he lost his ability to control his words; Chat Noir not being part of that count. But with the warmth of Marinette beside him, he knew it wouldn’t be much longer until his resolve broke. 

“What are your plants this weekend?” Adrien finally blurted out, nervously. 

Marinette started to giggle, her free hand reaching up to her lips. Adrien narrowed his eyes in confusion before Marinette finally confessed what was so funny. 

“I didn’t realize my plants were part of my weekend, but yes, I will be watering my plants this weekend.” 

_Plants?_ Adrien mentally retracked his words before realizing his blunder. He ducked his head as he mumbled to himself. 

“I don’t have any _plans_ this weekend, other than the usual working the bakery and homework bit.” She looked up to the sky and thought it over. “Nope. Nothing. What about you?” 

Adrien scratched his chin as he thought it over. He knew Saturday was going to be busy with rescheduled photo shoots, but he knew Sunday would be mostly free. He didn’t want to pull out his phone to check, so he speculated to the best of his ability. 

“I’m pretty sure I have Sunday afternoon off. Just a fencing lesson Sunday morning, but I’m positive I have the afternoon off.” 

“That’s good. You need a break from the craziness of your life.” 

Adrien hummed in agreement as Nino and Alya reached the sidewalk across from the school. Adrien knew he needed to say something before he reached his friends, but the window of opportunity rapidly closed when the mates turned around and waited for duo to catch up to them. Alya’s eyes twinkled at Adrien and Marinette’s sudden close contact and Nino nudged Alya as a warning to hold her tongue. She relented and winked at Marinette and the four teens waited for the signal to clear to allow them to cross. Adrien turned to Marinette and allowed his lack of self-control to take over instead of waiting until another time to ask her. 

“So....” Adrien finally said, letting the ‘o’ go on for a second longer than necessary. 

“Yes?” Marinette echoed his pronunciation, hoping to help him gain some courage in whatever he was about to do. 

“Well, I was thinking...” 

“...yes?” 

“Would you like to-” 

As if his bad luck decided to rear its ugly head, a man in a golden chariot sped out of the school building and down the street in front of the quad, bringing a dusting of dirt and loose newspapers to circulate the air around them. Adrien wrapped his body around Marinette and turned her away from the falling debris, her own arms brought up to her face in protection. Nino unconsciously did the same for Alya as she shielded her own eyes. 

As the group recovered, the simultaneously sounding alerts rang through their phones with the additional school system alarm ringing out the alert to indicate the telltale signs of “akuma”. Alya reached for her phone and ran after the villain, Nino quickly following her to ensure she stayed out of trouble. 

Adrien grunted out in frustration at the unfortunate timing and Marinette frowned. Whatever hope she had for his words drained her energy, but the quick nudge from inside her purse reminded her of her duty. 

Looking over to Adrien, she could see the determination in his face and Marinette already knew she wouldn’t be able to get away easily. She could see his alpha instincts kicking in, and she hoped that he would at least put her in a place that had a window she could easily escape from. 

“Adrien...” Marinette started but stopped when she noticed Adrien’s expression. 

His face screwed up tightly as he tried to think of a plan to both get Marinette out of harm’s way and into safety, plus allow him to sneak away and transform. He quickly grabbed her hand and brought her into the school, searching for an empty place to put her in. Plenty of his friends were running past him in panic as he worked his way through, but he did see three soldiers standing guard in the courtyard without moving. Passing by most of the classrooms already indicated their emptiness, so he brought her to the furthest room on the top floor and shoved her into the room before shutting the door. He looked to the side and found a fallen broomstick and promptly locked her into the room by shoving it through the door handle. 

Marinette caught her balance and turned around, her eyes filled with both anger and worry as the door separated the two. While it would be ideal for her to be left alone so she could get away, the fact that he was outside guarding the door only made her fear that he would endanger himself for her sake. 

“Adrien!” She called out to him, her nerves choking her as she slammed her fists against the door. “What are you doing? Get in here! _Please!_ ” 

Adrien looked at her with guilt in his eyes. “I’m going to make sure the school is cleared. Please stay here. I’ll come back. I promise.” 

With one hand placed on the glass pane in a silent plea of apologies, Adrien turned to run from the classroom door, bolted down the hallway, and down the stairs until he was away from her view. 

“I’m going to kill that boy.” Marinette muttered as she stewed in her spot. Tikki flew out of her purse and looked at her chosen with worry. She watched as Marinette paced back and forth, her hands animatedly gesturing as her voice raised a few octaves. “I can’t believe he just left me here and he ran off to do.... whatever he’s doing!” 

“Marinette,” Tikki warned, “you can’t worry about Adrien right now. There’s an akuma you need to focus on. Yell at him later.” 

Marinette paled as she realized how unfocused she had become. “Sorry, Tikki, let’s go. Spot’s on!” 

* * *

“Your girlfriend is going to be pissed when you get back to her, you know.” Plagg said as he poked his head out of Adrien’s pocket. 

Adrien ran down the stairs and rolled his eyes at the kwami. “Yeah, I know. But it’s better if she’s safe and sound. I need to find a spot to transform... like now.” 

He ran into the bathroom and noticed that no one was around, quickly transforming into his alter ego before leaping out the window and into the street below. 

Chat Noir looked for any signs of where the akuma could be, turning towards the direction of where the villain had gone after their earlier run-in. He noticed groupings of soldiers standing guard like the ones in the school, and decided to follow the path like they were his personal breadcrumbs. He opened up his communicator as he ran to see if Ladybug had found the villain yet, and saw her emblem flashing towards the direction of the Eiffel Tower. He extended his baton and vaulted to the rooftops, running over the flat pitches with ease. He spotted his partner hiding on a rooftop closest to the tower, and Chat dropped in beside her with a thump. 

“Chat.” Ladybug frowned, not taking her eyes off the akuma. 

“My lady.” Chat smiled, but soon rested his expression when he noticed her grim one. “What have you found out so far?” 

“He’s a god... Ares apparently.” 

His eyes widened. “You mean like the Greek god of war?” 

“Yup.” Ladybug’s eyes twitched as she tried to come up with a plan, and when one didn’t immediately come to her, she started to pull on the ends of her ponytail. 

Chat noticed her anxiousness and turned to the villain, trying to see what he could to help her along. 

Ares stood tall on the first platform, his back straight and his arms taut with his weapons held tightly in his hands. He looked intimidating to the naked eye, and his stance screamed someone of the higher hierarchy. 

He looked just like the Greek god in his history textbooks. His entire body was covered in gold body armor and red embellishments, the long, crushed velvet red cape blowing in the wind. In one arm was a golden shield that was longer than the length of his arm, and in the other was a tall spear with the blade the size of his forearm. His helmet covered his head, with a horizontal slit large enough for his eyes to view and a small vertical slit to breathe. The crowning glory of his helmet had a red fan sprouting from the top, indicating his place as the top warrior of his realm. 

Below him was a small grouping of warriors, maybe twenty in total, all standing guard waiting for orders. The god looked amongst the crowd, his head turning to look at them all before he slightly lifted the spear and slammed the butt back down to the platform. 

The echo of the thump was loud enough to be heard from their position, but Chat wasn’t sure if it was due to his super hearing or if it really was that loud. 

His sudden flinch from the noise was replicated by Ladybug herself, and he knew it wasn’t just him. The thump and subsequent echoes were loud enough to be heard for miles, and that probably meant he was calling upon his soldiers. 

Suddenly, hordes of synchronized footsteps could be heard. Ladybug and Chat looked to the street below and noticed hundreds of soldiers in parallel lines walking in sync as if they were ready to head to war. They all looked the same, similar body armor to Ares without the fan on their helmets, and all carried small round shields and swords in their hands. 

“Where did all these soldiers come from?” Chat whispered, more to himself than to Ladybug. 

“I’m not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that his spear has something to do with it if. But I won’t know until we get close.” 

“Attention, my soldiers!” Ares called out once the soldiers had gathered in large rows in front of him. “I have gathered you all to help me in my war against those who have wronged me. Those who have used their tongues to hold captive the thoughts that were once secret to my mind. We need to capture the one who can destroy our futures with a single lashing of her words. Will you help me, my loyal servants?” 

The ground shook with the roars of the soldiers. Some brought their swords into the air while others beat the handles of their swords against their shields. 

Raising his spear into the air, Ares calmed the crowd. He then pointed the blade towards the soldiers. 

“You,” he pointed to one-third of the group, “will go out to gather Miss Lila Rossi and you will bring her to me, unharmed.” 

The group chorused their excitement once more before dying down to a hum. Ladybug looked over to Chat and rolled her eyes. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” 

“You,” Ares called out again to another one-third of the horde, “will find Adrien Agreste and bring him to me. Harm him if you wish, but bring him alive.” 

Chat’s eyes widened at the call of his civilian name and Ladybug let out an audible gasp. 

“Oh no.” She whispered to herself. 

Chat couldn’t help but give her a smug smile, teasing her with this slight revelation. “I take it my lady has a liking to the model?” 

Ladybug was about to retort in anger, forgetting who she was for a moment, when a roar erupted and died down and leading to the last third of the group to receive their orders. 

“You will go and find Marinette Dupain-Cheng and bring her to me unscathed. She is a goddess and will be treated as such.” 

It was Chat Noir’s turn to gasp, prompting a smug Ladybug to tease him back. “Does someone have a little crush on the bakery girl? Hmm?” 

“Not at all.” He let out nervously. Fear and anger crept beneath his skin, but he couldn’t reveal why he gasped to Ladybug. “She’s my friend, is all. I don’t want anything to happen to her.” 

“Then we better go down there and defeat him before he does something to the three civilians.” 

“After you, my lady.” Chat added with a bow. 

“How kind of you.” Ladybug smirked, sarcastically, as she whipped her yo-yo and wrapped it around the highest beam of the tower. Chat vaulted after her, keeping a slight distance to watch her back. 

Ares looked to the cheering crowd and beamed with glee over their enthusiasm. His eyes coasted the group until it landed on two mortals hiding in the corner of a building. Ares schooled his features and brought his spear back up into the air to calm the crowd. 

“Go. Find the mortals and bring them to me.” 

Slamming the butt of the spear into the platform, the three groups of soldiers made their way to the streets, focusing on their specific orders to please the god. 

Ares watched as they left, his eyes narrowed in displeasure as he turned towards the inside of the platform and walked away from view. Suddenly, he bolted from his position, jumping high into the sky until he landed into a crouch mere steps in front of Alya and Nino. He stood straight with his spear to his side, his smile baring sharp fangs as a growl escaped his chest. 

Ladybug and Chat landed on the beam as Ares leaped off the tower, and they watched with horror as their friends were caught by the villain. 

“Alya. Nino.” He hissed as he pointed the blade towards them. A beam of light engulfed them and Ares turned to bring them back to the tower. 

“Let us go!” Alya cried out as Nino tried to find a way to disarm the light. 

Ares laughed. “I have something better. I may be a powerful god, but I need assistance to capture the Miraculouses.” He stopped and placed them back onto the ground, never stopping the beam of light from encasing them. “Soldiers: transform.” 

In a blink of an eye, Alya and Nino turned into soldiers, standing guard and waiting for direct orders. 

“It’s definitely his spear!” Ladybug gasped, and Chat nodded in agreement. “Chat?” 

“Already ahead of you.” 

Ladybug watched as Chat jumped down and away from view as she remained on the beam. She needed him to distract him a bit longer before she called her lucky charm, and she didn’t want to call it too early into the fight. 

“Well, well, well.” Chat called out smugly, his arm leaning against the extended baton. “What is the Greek God of War doing in the middle of Paris? I think you’re in the wrong timeline. Plus, last time I checked, France is pretty neutral to war.” 

Ares quickly turned to the superhero as a pleasing growl erupted from his chest. 

“One half of the duo has already arrived; easier to capture your Miraculous. Where is your partner, kitten? I need her to complete my task.” 

“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her yet.” He shrugged. “So until she shows up, you have me to deal with.” 

“Gladly. Warrior,” Ares turned and pointed his blade towards Nino, “capture the cat and you shall be rewarded.” 

Nino lifted his sword over his head and cheered in acceptance. Chat gathered his baton and held it out, standing in the En Garde position until his opponent charged at him. Keeping an eye on the god, Chat took a step back as the warrior lunged towards him to attack, smiling as he parried the sword away from his chest. The warrior brought his blade back and tried to slam it over Chat’s head, but Chat quickly pulled his baton across him to stop the blow. 

The warrior pulled back and Chat took his chance to swipe the baton against the helmet of the warrior, but the warrior placed his shield in front of his face. He laughed mercilessly and Chat became more determined to win against him. 

The two formed a comfortable pace of combat as they lunged and attacked back and forth, and Ladybug watched with worry as the warrior refused to back down. Ares and Alya stood and watched, never coming into the fight in a two-to-one or three-to-one battle. It was almost like he refused to get his hands dirty and entrusted his troops to do his bidding for him. 

Ahead of her, Ladybug could hear the faint sounds of marching coming from the distance. She pulled her eyes away from the fight for a brief second, afraid that if she whisked her eyes away for too long, she would miss her chance to sweep in if trouble happened to her partner. But when she looked, Ladybug noticed one third of the group coming back with one of the two possible civilians she worried most about. 

She held her breath as she waited to see who was captured, but didn’t hear the faint cries for her name being called out. Finally, the sound cracked through the barrier of her fog and she realized that her partner was calling for help. 

She finally looked down to see Chat being held down by the warrior, with Nino’s foot pressing down against his chest. Chat tried to remove it by grabbing onto his ankle and shoving the appendage off of him, but his claws slid off of the gold armor. Chat tried to kick himself off the ground to at least get the warrior to lose his balance, but nothing worked in his favor. 

“It’s over, kitten.” Ares yelled to Chat with a hiss. 

“It’s never over!” Chat answered back, continuing to wiggle himself free. The warrior seemed impatient with Chat’s eagerness to find a way out of his predicament, deciding it was best to place the tip of his sword against the exposed skin of his neck. 

“Move kitty and you’ll be a striped cat instead.” 

Chat stopped moving and tried to formulate his next distraction all while trying to keep his composure. While he was an alpha, fear still struck his nerves. The thought of Marinette being captured started to creep back into his mind, and he hoped that locking her into that room was the best decision he could have made. But fighting Nino only reminded him of how strong his warriors really were, and Marinette had no way to leave the room if the horde had somehow found her and charged their way into the room to capture her. 

He tried to reassure himself that she was safe and sound and that if she was captured, Ares didn’t want to hurt her. He called her a goddess and she was to remain untouched. He hoped he kept his word on that, and if not, he needed to keep himself safe to protect her. 

But the slight fear that if he was maimed before Ladybug could capture the akuma started to feel more and more plausible, and he worried that if that happened, she might not have the help she needed to defeat the god. 

He wasn’t the type of akuma from the early days of fighting and it was becoming the biggest cause of concern the heroes had to face. Hawkmoth may not be striking daily, but when he did strike, the villains were stronger and more vicious. It had even gotten to the point that both Ladybug and Chat Noir had worried that one day they would be defeated because of it. 

Chat let out a strangled groan and tried to not let that thought fog his mind. He looked up at the platform of the tower and hoped that Ladybug had heard his cry for help, then turned his eyes towards the sky to keep her hideaway a secret a little bit longer. He always trusted her and knew that she would always be there at the perfect moment to step in. 

Vibrations started to rattle the ground, and that fear of Marinette being captured came back. He tried to turn his head to see the warriors coming back from where they came from, but the tip of the blade poked into his neck, stalling him from moving any further. 

Ladybug grew in anger as she watched her partner become trapped under the warrior’s foot and blade. She knew he didn’t have much time until Ares gave orders to remove the ring, so she knew it was time to call upon her charm. 

“Lucky Charm!” 

Falling from the sky was a red and black spotted blanket and Ladybug looked at it with wonder and confusion. 

“A blanket?” She questioned before the loud rumblings took over her senses. 

Ladybug looked up as she heard the horde charge closer and squinted to see who was captured. She let out a sigh of relief when Lila could be seen being carried like a hog tied for a roast. She then turned her attention to the area around her to see how she could use her lucky charm while ensuring both Chat’s safety along with Lila’s. 

She glanced back to Chat and noticed that the altercation hadn’t changed and glared at the lucky charm once more before trying to find the best way to use it. When her plan of action formed in her mind, she unwound her yo-yo and whipped it towards a streetlamp near the group below, and made a running leap towards the ground. 

She focused her entry to the target in mind, planting her feet like an arrow in front of her as she picked up speed in the downward trajectory towards _him_. 

In one fell swoop, she whipped the end of the blanket around the warrior as she drop-kicked Ares in the chest. Both Nino and Ares collided into each other and catapulted back into Alya, bringing the three warriors into a heaping pile of limbs and bodies onto the ground. 

Chat took his window of opportunity and quickly whipped up from his position onto his two feet, standing and ready to fight. Ladybug barrel rolled across the ground and swiftly landed into a crouch, hoping that her plan caused Ares to drop his weapon and it was somewhat unreachable. 

Both Ladybug and Chat looked around to find the weapon; the increasing sounds of the horde coming around the bend. Ares recovered quickly and held out his hands, summoning the spear and the shield to him in a silent call. 

“Shit.” Chat muttered, looking around him to see what he should do next. 

Ladybug was now determined to defeat the villain as quickly as possible as her earrings beeped down to four spots. 

“Chat! Get ready.” 

Chat nodded his head in understanding as he called upon his cataclysm and darted around him like a cat chasing a mouse. Ladybug watched as Ares became distracted over Chat’s odd choice in combat and she knew she had him right where she needed him to be. 

If anyone knew history, then they would know that Ares biggest weakness was always fighting without consequences, and in this case, he wasn’t thinking about what would happen next. 

Ladybug whipped out her yo-yo to capture one of the warrior’s legs. She tugged the string back as hard and as quickly as she could, sweeping the warrior off his feet and whipping him towards Ares once again. 

This time, the warrior struck Ares in the back, colliding the two into another pile of limbs. The spear dislodged itself from Ares’ grasp and flew into Chat’s direction. He lunged up and grabbed it with his destructive power, breaking the object into a pile of ash. 

Ladybug gathered her yo-yo and swiped it open, capturing the akuma and purifying it into a white butterfly. The horde finally arrived with Lila in tow, and Ladybug couldn’t help but let out a tiny giggle at how she currently looked. 

Ladybug cleared her throat when Lila glared daggers into her soul, and Chat gladly picked up the lucky charm and handed it to her. She gathered the blanket into her fist and tossed it into the sky, screaming out the Miraculous Ladybug call and cleansing the city back into normalcy. 

Ares screamed out in anger as his form fell, leaving Jordan in his place. 

Chat stared at the alpha with anger seeping under his skin. He wanted to lunge at the boy, ensuring he knew who Marinette belonged to, but the sudden hand on his shoulder made him realize Marinette was not a toy to be mishandled. Yes, he considered Marinette a goddess to him, but only if she allowed him to be her alpha. 

“Chat.” Ladybug smiled as she gently squeezed his shoulder. “I’m down to two spots. Can you help him?” 

Chat looked back at the alpha and nodded his head. “Of course. I’ll take care of it. Patrol tomorrow?” 

“Tomorrow.” 

He watched as Ladybug catapulted away then finally turned to walk over to the alpha. 

“You alright?” 

Jordan looked up at Chat Noir then turned to the side and away from him. “No, but its whatever.” 

“Well, whatever it was, it was serious enough to attach itself to your knife.” Chat picked up the knife and handed it back to him, the telltale beeps reminding him he only had so much time until his transformation fell. “What do you have against Lila and Adrien? Is it something that I can help with?” 

“No.” Jordan answered quickly, snatching the knife from the superhero’s hand. “Thanks, but I got to go.” 

“Do you want a lift back to where you need to go?” 

“No.” 

Chat looked at him incredulously. “Well, if you’re sure... I’ll be off then.” With a two-finger salute, Chat vaulted his way back to the school, leaving Jordan to walk back to the building by himself. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

Chat Noir reached the building across from the school and dropped down into the alleyway below. He stuck his head out to ensure that no one was around to witness him transform, then turned back into the alley to mutter his detransformation phrase. He caught Plagg into his open palms and grabbed a slice of Camembert from his pocket, hastily stuffing it into the kwami’s mouth. Plagg choked on the bit of cheese before he swallowed it whole, then glared at his chosen instead of muttering the few choice words that swam around in his head. 

“Was that necessary?” The kwami finally choked out as Adrien glanced back out into the street to make sure the coast was completely clear. 

“I need to get back to Marinette. I need to make sure she’s okay.” 

“You sure you want to go back there? She’s going to be pissed.” 

Adrien sighed as he opened his shirt to let Plagg nuzzle into his spot. “I don’t have a choice. Hopefully she won’t be too mad at me.” 

He ran his hand through his hair and walked out into the street before turning the corner to the school. As he ran up the steps, he could see Alya and Nino walking towards the locker rooms. The hallways were buzzing with students now that the akuma was defeated, and he noticed a few students walking out of the locker rooms and making their way towards their next classes. 

He had yet to see Jordan back at the school, but Adrien knew that he was able to come back quicker with the help of his super speed and Jordan declined the extra help. He honestly didn’t want to think about the alpha for long; it made him angry to think that Jordan wanted Marinette for himself even though she was clearly not his soulmate. At least Adrien didn’t think it was common knowledge that he and Marinette were mates besides Nino and Alya finding out during lunch along with his pack already knowing, but he guessed that he would have to ask around to see if anyone suspected anything soon. 

But what puzzled Adrien the most about this whole situation was that Ares ordered his soldiers to bring Lila to him unharmed while Adrien himself was to be brought back alive but tortured. Besides the little incident earlier, what would have possessed Jordan to want to harm him and what does Lila have on him to anger him that much? 

Adrien needed to push those thoughts to side for now; he would have to talk to Ladybug about it during patrol tomorrow evening. Right now, he needed to focus his attention into finding Marinette and making sure she was okay. 

As Adrien rushed up the stairs to the classroom he had left Marinette in, he could see that the door was wide open as a few students made their way in. Quickly scanning the hallway, he didn't immediately see her standing there waiting for him, and he tried to swallow the knot in his throat as he understood the implications. 

Marinette was mad. Plain and simple. He knew her. He knew that if she was fine or even slightly upset at him, then she would have at least waited outside the room until he got back. But if she was mad, then she would have left for her next class. Calculus was only down the hall, but just to be completely sure that she wasn’t talking to someone in the class, Adrien popped his head in and scanned the room for her form. He paled when he noticed that she wasn’t there, but as Adrien turned to scan the hallway again before making his way down the hall, Kim noticed his lingering form in the doorway and called out to him. 

“Agreste!” Kim hollered as he ran past the other students to the door. 

“Hey.” Adrien said flatly, quickly turning his head towards his friend before looking back into the hallway in search of her raven hair. 

“She’s not here.” 

“Figured.” Adrien tried to walk away, but Kim’s quick words stopped him in his tracks. 

“Marinette told me you tossed her in here and barricaded the door.” Kim sighed as he crossed his arms. Adrien turned back around to listen to what Kim had to say. “Look, she’s one of my oldest friends and I know how she gets. But I’m just going to give you a heads up. You’re in trouble, Agreste. You don’t want to ever get Marinette mad. That’s just asking for trouble.” 

Adrien’s eyes widened. He knew she was mad, but to hear the truth made his stomach turn. 

“She’s mad? Did she say that?” 

“Dude, she didn’t have to say it. But you can tell she’s pissed off. Like, if she were an alpha, she would rip your head off. You can tell by her short words... and her eyes?” Kim shivered as if he had seen the devil incarnate. “Yeah. Good luck.” 

Kim placed a comforting hand on Adrien’s shoulder before turning around and going back to his seat. Adrien turned into the hallway and made his way towards her class and stopped as he was about to walk in. Fear started to course through his body, which was unusual for an alpha, but he didn’t want to dwell on that aspect for too long. He knew it was hesitation in confronting his mate. 

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he could smell the sweet scent of her pheromones. She was definitely in the class, and he realized that there was the slightest hint of sourness mixed in. She was so mad that it was seeping through her pores. 

_Shit. That was not a good sign._

Adrien took one more breath and stepped right in, looking around the room for Marinette. When he caught sight of her, his breath hitched. She was glaring at him and the look alone made him feel cold. Her eyes were dark, her hands clenched into tight fists, and her lips were screwed tightly together. If eyes could kill, then her eyes were sending out daggers and impaling it into his chest and face a million times over. 

He was totally dead. 

He swallowed thickly and blinked. His heartbeat picked up speed the longer Marinette stared at him, yet she never took her eyes off him. He only started to realize that the other classmates had paused their conversations to watch the silent interaction when the deafening silence filled the void, and Adrien started to feel smaller than he ever thought possible. It was that moment that he knew he would never, ever, hurt Marinette again, because his own heart was breaking for even causing her the slightest bit of hurt. He never got the chance to ask her on a proper date, and yet the thought of losing her before ever attempting to terrified him. 

“Ma-Marinette?” He finally called to her, his voice coming out broken and hoarse. 

“What.” Her own tone was as hard as steel. 

“Can we talk...” he looked around the class again and noticed that all eyes were on them, “outside the classroom?” 

Marinette stood up and crossed her arms, her expression tight as she walked towards him. He stepped out of the way and led her to the almost empty hallway where she waited for him to begin. 

Adrien never liked the feeling of being a disappointment. Even with his father being as considerate and kind as he was, there were moments where his father’s features exuded how disappointed he was in Adrien. It didn’t matter if it was over his modeling or his schoolwork, Adrien knew the disappointment was bound to come from something he did, no matter how well he did it. 

But to see Marinette disappointed? Yeah. That stung harder than he ever thought possible. 

He took a deep breath and started. “Are you okay?” 

Marinette tilted her head. “I’m fine.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be? You locked me in a room during an akuma attack and left me to worry sick over you.” She lashed out. “You left me alone, freaking the fuck out that you were captured, or hurt, or worse! Yet you didn’t even care to think about my feelings over this. All you cared about was protecting me.” 

Adrien winced. “I’m sorry. I thought it was best to keep you locked up somewhere where no one could get to you.” 

“You thought?” She scoffed. “You thought, leaving me locked up in a room with no way of getting out except through a window on the second floor would be the best way to keep me safe? What if something happened and the building was on fire? What if I needed a way to escape? I couldn’t just go and wait for a superhero to show up because they were busy defeating the akuma! 

“And I know that the akuma was looking for me, Adrien; Alya had the video on livestream. He asked for me, unharmed, to be captured by his army. Luckily, they never kidnapped me, yet they could have, and they could have brought me back to him so he could do whatever he pleased!” 

Tears started to flow down her cheeks as she tried to hold back the sobs that had threatened to choke her. The words that spilled out from her small frame packed a punch to Adrien’s gut, and his eyes shuttered closed as she continued to berate him. 

“And he called for you. He wanted you to be found. He wanted to drag you back to him and he didn’t even care if you were tortured in the process! You know how scared I was, how terrified that I could have lost you?” 

“But Ladybug always saves the day-” 

“And what if she doesn’t! What if she’s defeated and can’t bring you back! What if I lose you forever? I _can’t_ lose you forever. I just found you.” The sobs finally let go and Marinette held her face in her hands, afraid to look at him. “Ladybug is just a teenager, just like us. She’s human, just like us. She could fail, just like anyone else could.” 

“Marinette-” 

“No. I won’t- I won’t lose you. I just can’t.” 

Adrien tried to reach out to her, but as he took a step forward, she pulled her hands away from her face and took a step back. 

“I’m sorry. I- I can’t do this.” She wiped the tears that ran down her face. “I need to get back to class.” She whispered as she ran back into the room. 

Adrien stood there, unsure of what to do next. His heart shattered. He did it to protect her and it was only after he let his head tell his heart what to do to keep her safe. 

Although, that what he was always taught to do. As an alpha, you protected your mate to the best of your ability. Being a superhero gave him better resources and better abilities to protect anyone in his vicinity, but Marinette didn’t know that part of him yet. However, here he was, trying to prevent her impending abduction by locking her into a room, yet protecting her was the last thing he did. He may have stopped the horde from capturing her, but he didn’t protect her heart from the repercussions of his hasty decisions. 

Maybe his heart was wrong. Maybe she was an alpha. Maybe she didn’t need him to protect her. Who was he to take charge of a situation when he never took charge of anything in his life? First his father and then his partner. Adrien did what Nathalie relayed to him and in return he got his freedom to be with his friends. It was the same way with Ladybug. He always followed Ladybug’s lead, always letting her take charge and he just did what he was told. It was simply easier that way, and in turn he got to let loose and have fun while defeating the villain at the same time. 

Some alpha he turned out to be. 

Adrien sighed as he turned towards his class and trudged towards it, not caring at all whether he received another detention slip or not. What was one more when he already had to be there for the week? His father was going to have a field day when he got home, but it would just be another drop to the bad luck the day had brought on himself today. 

Finally sitting in his seat after giving a lame excuse as to why he was late, he tried to focus on his course, but instead doodled her name in the margins instead.

* * *

_Monday, 14H_

“Marinette?” Adrien called out to her as soon as he had seen her walk down the steps leading to the school’s entrance. He hadn’t seen her since their argument outside of her classroom after lunch, and he hoped that she had calmed down enough to talk to him. 

When she looked up at him through her wet lashes, Adrien knew it was better to leave her be. 

“Ne-never mind.” He finished, wearily. He watched as she turned and ran off, the faint sounds of her sniffles echoing in the air. 

* * *

_Monday, 19H_

**Adrien:** _Marinette?_

**Adrien:** _Could you please let me know if you’re home safe?_

**Adrien:** _I know you’re upset. You have every right to be. I’m just..._

**Adrien:** _I’m sorry._

**Adrien:** _I hope I get to see you tomorrow._

**Adrien:** _Goodnight. <3 _

* * *

_Tuesday, 07H_

“Hey, Alya.” 

Alya looked up to see Adrien standing near her, his face sunken and pale. 

“Woah, sunshine. You alright?” 

Adrien shuffled his foot against the ground, knocking a pebble from its spot. “Yeah. I’m fine.” 

“You don’t look fine.” She tilted her head to get a better glimpse at his features. “Didn’t sleep? Didn’t eat? Mope?” 

“Nope, nope, and yes.” He said, letting out a sigh. 

Alya looked at him with concern. She wanted to tell him something, even a vague sentence to let him know how Marinette was feeling about all this, but it wasn’t her place. But to see this usually bright and happy ball of sunshine look so defeated and hurt stabbed at her heart. She couldn’t see him like this, but she promised Marinette to keep their conversation between them. 

She tried to separate what she could and couldn’t say to him to make him feel better, anything that would give him a breath of relief if she said it, but nothing came to mind. 

“Is she here yet?” 

“I’m sorry, Adrien, but she’s not coming in today.” 

Alya couldn’t believe how much ashier he could get with his already pale form. She needed to say something to at least liven him up. 

“Don’t worry sunshine. She isn’t feeling all that well. She’ll be back tomorrow.” 

Adrien gave her a blank look, but didn’t want to press her forward. He shuffled his foot against the ground again and opened his mouth a few times, but no words came out. Alya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“Give her a few days. Marinette doesn’t usually get mad, but when she does, it lingers. If Nino locked me in a room during an akuma attack, I would have gotten mad too. But that’s because I would have missed the scoop. I’m not saying what you did was wrong, or if she being mad at you is wrong, but I will say that when she’s ready to talk, she’ll come and talk. Just let her be.” 

Adrien shot her a sad smile and walked into the school, not saying a word to anyone the rest of the day.

* * *

_Tuesday, 16H_

“Marinette. Please talk to him. The poor boy is moping like a sad kitten on a rainy day.” Alya relayed the info to her after class. “He didn’t talk to anyone today.” 

Marinette bit her lip. “I can’t, Alya. It just hurts too much to talk about it right now.” 

“If not now, then when? You’re only hurting yourself as much as you’re hurting him.” 

A tear fell down Marinette’s cheek. “I’ll do it soon. I promise.” 

* * *

_Tuesday, 21H_

Ladybug sat on the glass fencing on the Montparnasse Tower. Her legs were pulled up against her slumped form and her arms were wrapped tightly around it. She squeezed her toes with her index finger and thumb as she stared out to the water, hoping that the simple touch could keep her thoughts from straying and cause her to break down further. 

She didn’t sleep, barely ate a thing all day, and spent most of her moments awake fighting with herself. She cried; of course, she cried, and she cried herself into an exhaustive sleep many times since Monday afternoon. She pushed away her mate when all he did was try to protect her; doing his job as an alpha by keeping his mate safe and sound from harm. Yet he was doing it like he had superpowers. That bothered her more than she wanted to admit. It was as if to him, now that he knew he was an alpha, he could just go out and save people because he could. 

That was a foolish way of thinking and that’s why this whole thing angered her. 

Of course, she knew that her way of thinking was completely screwed up. Having him hide with her would only hinder her from transforming quicker, and of course keeping him in a locked room with no way to hide and avoid disaster was just as stupid. But that didn’t mean he should have locked her up in a classroom and away from harm like he did. Hiding in the bathroom would have been sufficient enough for that nonsense. 

Maybe next time _she_ should lock him in a classroom and see if he liked it. But that whole line of thinking was petty, even for her. 

She let out a heavy sigh as she waited for her partner to arrive. She stopped squeezing her toes and placed her chin on her knees then started to wonder how she could fix this. 

“Good evening, bug.” Chat Noir announced quietly, devoid of his usual carefree banter. She looked up at him and noticed that his face was dark and sullen. That alone broke her heart further. 

“Hey, kitty.” She replied, her tone just as sad as his. 

“You okay?” 

“Not really. You?” 

“Nope.” 

Chat sat beside her and allowed his feet to dangle over the edge. They sat in silence, neither really wanting to speak and bring up any fresh wounds. Chat leaned forward onto his knees and wiped away a speckle of nothing before sighing and breaking the silence. 

“I matured,” he admitted nonchalantly, “recently.” 

“Congratulations.” She gave him a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. 

He let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.” 

“What did you mature into?” Chat turned to look at her, his face tilted in confusion. He was surprised that she wanted to know his role. Guarding their secret identities and anything involving that was always drilled into their minds, so her questioning confused him. It seemed that Ladybug understood his expression and continued. “Tikki said that it was important to learn who was in what role. She didn’t say why, just the fact that it was something that could cause an imbalance if it was untold; whatever that meant.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Unless you are something so ultra-rare that I would pick out your civilian form in a basket of hay, I highly doubt that I could guess who you are.” Chat opened his mouth with his finger in the air, but Ladybug interrupted his thought. “No Chat, there are no such things as ultra-rare roles so you don’t need to be suave about that.” 

Chat pouted, but it made Ladybug giggle. In turn, he giggled too. It felt good to laugh even though his heart had been breaking every second over the last day and a half. 

“Alright, alright.” Chat finally relented, letting out a sigh. “You are looking at a fully-fledged, larger than life, ever the handsome... _panther!_ ” He finished with an expressive smile, showing off his fangs. 

Ladybug’s eyes widened before she feigned fear. “Oh no! Should I be terrified? This kitten has finally become a big, black, house cat?” She let out another fit of giggles when his expression turned pouty once again. “So. You’re an alpha, I assume?” she said as she caught her breath. 

“Yup. Have you matured yet?” 

“Nope. I wonder what that will mean for our dynamic?” 

“Would that really matter? I know I'm an alpha, but I've been protecting you ever since we became partners. I’m not good enough to do more than that- _and_ _I proved enough of that lately.”_

“Kitty,” she looked at him with indignation, the well of tears she had barely held back threatening to fall again, “I hope you don’t believe that for one bit.” 

“Well, it feels like that.” 

“I don’t believe that one bit. I bet you could do so much more than just protection. Whoever made you feel that way doesn’t deserve your friendship.” 

Chat hummed at her response. He didn’t want to mention that his mate was mad at him for protecting her, and that he spent the last day and a half focusing on how to make himself better for her. He wanted to be the alpha she deserved to have, but he honestly didn’t know how. 

“So.” Chat started, deciding he rather change to subject than dwell on it further. “Yesterday’s akuma had me slightly worried.” 

“What do you mean?” 

That victim, Jordan? Well, his akumatized object was his knife. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, but when I asked if he was okay... well, he really wasn’t.” 

“Okay...” 

“You know how victims are usually remorseful over getting themselves upset enough to be akumatized?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, he wasn’t. He looked almost angry that he was back to normal. I asked him if he wanted a ride back to wherever he needed to go, and he said no. When I asked him if he wanted to talk about why he was angry at Lila and Adrien, he refused to answer. That... that bothered me more than it should have, probably.” 

“Lila causes more akumatizations than we probably know. Look at what happened with Oni-Chan a few years back.” Chat nodded in agreement. “I do wonder what the deal was against Adrien though.” 

Chat flinched at the mention of his civilian name, but quickly recovered. “Yeah, and why Marinette?” 

Ladybug flinched at the mention of her namesake, but responded back to his question with a thought. “Maybe we need to keep an eye on Jordan. Hopefully, he won’t be an issue in the future.” 

“Well, hopefully Marinette is okay after what happened today.” 

“And I hope Adrien is too.” 

“...and Lila...” they both said in unison, enthusiasm withheld. 

The two sat in silence, pondering over hurt that haunted their insides. They wanted to talk it out, to have a friend they can just reach out to and gain an outside perspective to their situations, but it couldn’t happen, and the tension in the air confirmed the wallowing they each had to endure in silence. 

Ladybug sighed before scratching thigh. “Hey. Do you mind if we cancel patrol tonight? I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep much and I don’t think I can handle a few hours of wandering around.” 

Chat didn’t turn to look at her, but he agreed that patrol wasn’t something he wanted to do tonight either. “Yeah. I’m alright with that. I’m just going to sit here a bit longer. I need some air to think.” 

“You sure you don’t want me to stay? I can, if you just want someone to sit here with you.” 

Chat cracked a smile and placed a comforting hand onto her hand. “No. Go home, bug. I’ll be okay.” 

Ladybug squeezed his hand and gave him one last smile before leaving the tower. 

_Hopefully, I'll be okay,_ Chat thought to himself as he let his tears fall. 

* * *

_Wednesday, 0650_

Marinette walked towards the school and noticed that Nino was sitting by himself on the steps. 

“Hey.” She softly tapped on his shoulder to not startle him. He removed his headphones from his ears and gave her a sad smile. “Is Adrien here yet?” 

Nino frowned. “No, dudette. He texted me. He’s not coming in at all. Surprise photoshoot this afternoon with last minute fittings all morning.” 

Marinette’s shoulders drooped. “Oh.” She added, wrapping a lock of hair around her finger. “How- how’s he doing?” 

“Honestly? Not good. I’m not sure how he’s going to pull off modeling today in his state.” 

Marinette started to feel the coil of guilt twisting in her stomach. She paled at his words and Marinette couldn’t help but let the threatening tears pool at the edges of her eyes. 

“Mari. Don’t cry. Please, he’s-” 

“It’s fine! I’m fine. No big deal.” She interrupted. “I- I got to get to class. I’ll see you later.” 

* * *

_Wednesday, 20H_

Adrien couldn’t stand to be in his room anymore. Spending the day away from Marinette, even though she wasn’t talking to him, was eating at his insides. Plagg watched his chosen pace back and forth, his meal untouched and left on the coffee table. 

“Kid, you need to eat. Can’t be hunky, muscular Chat Noir if you don’t eat. You’re going to turn into a stick figure.” 

Adrien sighed and gave him a pitiful smile, appreciating the silly tone in his voice. He paused in front of the wall of windows and stared at the dark skyline, wishing and hoping that Marinette would reach out to him tomorrow at school. 

He let out another heavy sigh and Plagg groaned, zipping to his chosen with an agitated look. 

“Alright, alright. I can’t take this anymore.” He pulled on his whiskers. “Do you want to go see your mate? At least make sure she’s okay?” 

“I really do. More than anything.” 

“Grab a slice of Camembert and let’s go. Anything to get you to stop moping so much.” 

“Plagg...” 

“Just thank me later with another wheel of Camembert when we get home. 

“Deal.” 

With a quick call to his transformation, Chat climbed out of his window and swept over the rooftops, vaulting and propelling anytime he needed to decent. The cool breeze felt good across his hot skin, yet the nervousness began to coil the closer he got to her home. 

Slowing down near Notre Dame, he managed to jump a few rooftops carefully as her balcony came into view. The fairy lights were on and he could see a small figure sitting on the chair outside of her trap door, and Chat swallowed as he crouched down near a potted plant on a rooftop across the way. 

There she was, beautiful as ever, her small frame bundled with a plush pink blanket. He could tell that her knees were propped up and close to her chest, while her arms were wrapped tightly around it. Her face was tilted upwards, but he didn’t know what she was looking at. The canopy covered her sitting area and she wouldn’t be able to see the stars in that way. 

But then he heard it. The sniffles and sobs and the little mutterings that came from her lips. She was crying and hurt over what he had done and she couldn’t contain it. 

“Why.” He heard her say. “Why do I screw everything up.” 

_She thinks she screwed it up? But he was the one who locked her up. He was the one to make her feel like she didn’t have a choice._

“I love him so damn much and yet I pushed him away.” 

_She loved him?_

“I can’t. I can’t anymore.” 

Chat shot up from his position and started to run, hoping she didn’t notice his struggle as he tripped over the plant. Marinette wiped her face and called out to the neighbor, hoping that whoever was there was okay. 

She squinted when she noticed the dark figure, calling out the only person who be out this late at night with an erratic tail giving away his form. “Chat Noir?” 

“Oh, hey princess!” He purred. “Just patrolling when I saw a stray cat knock over this plant. Yeah... So, I came by to fix it! Yup!” He reached up to his neck and rubbed it nervously. 

Marinette waved him over and he did so, but not before Marinette giving him a critical eye. “Sure, you did. And why were you spying on me?” 

“I wasn’t spying!” He sputtered quickly. But the look on her face told him he had been caught. “Alright, fine. I was running by when I heard you crying and didn’t want to pry. So, I decided to hide over here just to make sure you wouldn’t be at risk of being akumatized.” While it wasn’t the truth, the lie on the fly worked better than he thought. 

At first, she gave him a curious look, but then shrugged at his response. “Then I need to thank you for watching out for me.” She gave him a genuine smile, and he tried his best to hold his composure and being turned into a pile of goo. “Thank you.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not really? It’s just me being ridiculous. That’s all.” 

“I don’t believe for one bit that you’re being ridiculous. You have every right to be upset about anything, no matter what that thing may be. You know that, right?” 

“Maybe, but yet I hurt the one person that means the most to me.” 

“Ooh,” Chat cooed and Marinette rolled her eyes, “got someone special in your life?” 

Marinette let out a sad sigh and nodded her head. “Yeah, but that’s only if I didn’t lose him already.” 

Chat twisted his lips. “Princess, I highly doubt someone as amazing as you could lose a loved one like that.” 

“Yeah. Maybe. I just need to talk to him about this whole thing.” 

He nudged her shoulder. “Need me to be there to cheer you on?” 

She smiled and let out a tiny giggle before nudging his shoulder back. “It’s okay. I got it. But thank you, Chat.” 

“Just doing my duty as Paris’s favorite superhero.” 

“I thought Ladybug was the favorite?” 

“Ah, maybe, but I bet I’m your favorite.” 

“You got me.” She replied sarcastically, and he laughed in return. “I should probably get to bed. I haven’t slept in days.” 

“Then I bid you adieu.” Chat finished with a bow and Marinette curtsied back. 

“Goodnight Chat. Thank you.” 

“Goodnight, Marinette.” 

Reaching back to his room, Adrien released his transformation and handed Plagg his promised wheel of cheese. While Adrien didn’t feel entirely better, he was slightly glad to be able to talk to her for a few minutes. He hoped that Marinette would finally reach out to him sometime tomorrow and they could fix this blip in their relationship. 

Now all he had to do was wait. 

* * *

_Thursday, 01H_

Ladybug sat on the rooftop across from Adrien’s windows. She wasn’t able to sleep after Chat Noir had stopped by, so she decided to take a chapter from his book and take a stroll to clear her mind. She made her way across the rooftops, twisting and turning as she made her way around the city she loved so much. 

Moments of the last few days crossed her mind, and she sighed as she pondered her options. She knew she needed to talk to him; she needed to bring up her reasoning on why she was so angry at him in the first place. She knew Adrien wouldn’t come up to her and ask her himself. After that first afternoon when he saw her with unshed tears, and all the missed texts and phone calls that he tried to send out, she knew he wouldn’t try to bother her again until she was ready to talk. 

Reaching a familiar area, she looked around and noticed the mansion. She decided to stop on the rooftop across from his room, hiding out in plain sight as she watched him from her perch. She only wanted to give herself some encouragement, anything from his form that made her realize her mistakes, but when she noticed how he stood up from his computer, the way he stretched and walked towards his bed, she felt ashamed at herself for all the tears she had shed. When he sat down to pull off his shirt, she noticed the smile on his face and his comforting stretch against his large bed, the sweet smile as he snuggled against the pillows to sleep comfortably for the night. 

At first, she was happy that he wasn’t in pain, but then she realized how heartbroken she had felt over the last few days. She furrowed her brow at this discovery and it only made her wonder. 

Was it all that bad that he wasn’t completely heartbroken over whatever was going on between them? Did she truly love him more than he loved her? 

“Maybe not being with him was the best.” She said to herself, all confidence of speaking to him at school the next morning completely gone from her mind. Tears started to run down her face once again as she tried to fight off the pain, but it was all for naught. “Maybe I'm not worthy enough to be with him.” She cried out one last time before attempting to smear the tears from her flushed cheeks. 

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and zipped herself home, never noticing the tear streaks running down his face as Adrien cried himself to sleep. 

* * *

_Thursday, 07H_

Marinette stood beside her best friend as Alya went over a babysitting mishap with her twin sisters. Nino laughed at some of the funny portions of the story, but Marinette just stood there with a blank stare. Alya chose not to bring her thoughts into the story much more than she needed to, knowing that her best friend just needed a slight distraction rather than a full one. 

As Adrien walked towards the three friends with a sad smile, he called out a good morning to the group hoping the conversation starter would help Marinette reach out to him. Instead of a smile in return, Marinette paled when she heard his voice, looking up to see a half-hearted smile plastered on his face. Marinette promptly screwed her face up to try not to cry, bolting into the school before anyone could stop her from retreating. 

Adrien dropped his friendly act and ran his hand through his hair, ignoring any attempts at conversations from Nino. 

“Sorry. I- I just can’t.” Adrien finally got out, putting his hands up in defense. He turned and faced the school, running up the steps and out of view. 

Alya turned to Nino and let out a heavy sigh. 

“They need to get back on the same wavelength.” Nino nodded to agree. “This is just becoming too painful to watch.” Alya turned back towards the school, a concerned expression etched in her features. 

“Babe. How long has it been since they last talked?” 

“Almost four days?” She thought for a moment before turning back to him. “Since Monday afternoon.” 

“Dude.” 

“I know. I know. I just wish there was something we could do.” 

Nino nodded in contemplation before he noticed the look on Alya’s face. She then gave Nino a bright smile and an expressive nod. “Oh yeah. _I_ have an idea.” 


	16. Chapter 16

Marinette stood in front of her locker and stared at the closed door. She didn’t want to open it and see the pictures of her and Adrien tacked to the inside of the metal, afraid that if she took one peak, she would start to bawl her eyes out again. 

She already spent the first fifteen minutes upon entering the school by locking herself in a bathroom stall and shedding as many tears as she could; her little kwami comforting her quietly beside her. Only when Alya came in and found her hiding was she able to come out; yet, here she was refusing to open the door and open up the wounds again. 

“Girl. You need to hurry up and get your books. We’re going to be late.” 

“I- I can’t.” She whimpered; her eyes shiny and red. 

Alya pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. “Open the door and I’ll get them for you. What do you have first?” 

Marinette looked at her before reluctantly unlocking the door and turning away. “Literature.” 

“Okay. Do you need anything besides that?” 

“French History and that blue notebook.” 

Alya grabbed the items and placed them in her hands, shutting the door and wrapping her arm around her shoulders to lead them up to homeroom. 

“Are you going to be okay in literature? You share that class with him, right?” 

Marinette sniffed against the back of her hand. “Yeah. And we sit together too.” 

“Can you switch seats with someone today?” 

“No.” Marinette mumbled. She knew deep down inside that it wasn’t the thought of sitting next to him that bothered her, it was the idea of switching seats. She couldn’t deny that moving her spot would only break her further. “Besides, Mr. Lovell wouldn’t allow it.” 

“Listen. It will be okay. It’s not like you have to do a class project with him or anything.” 

Marinette scoffed. “Knowing my luck? That’s probably what’s going to happen.” 

“And if it does, then it’s the perfect opportunity to talk to him. You said it yourself you wanted to fix this, and you’d promise you’d fix it. Take the opportunity and talk to him! Start small.” 

Marinette looked at her friend and let out a sigh. “I’ll try.” 

The homeroom door came into view and the terrified coil started to form in her belly. Alya guided her into the classroom and Marinette hastily made her way to her seat, never once lifting her eyesight off the floor as she made her way up the steps to her row. 

Normally, she would have walked around Adrien’s spot as they continued their conversations; the class secretly cooing over their interactions. Instead, the bluenette held onto her books as if they were made of glass and stepped into her seat from Alya’s side of the room, then sliding in and burying her face into her arms. 

Adrien noticeably tensed the moment she walked in, but his head quickly bowed down and refused to turn towards her to see what she would do. The moment he heard her sit down, he plopped his head down onto the table with a loud thud, not bothering using his arms as a cushion during its fall. Nino reached over and patted Adrien’s shoulders, asking if he needed to run to the nurse for ice to avoid bruising his already ashen face. 

Alya looked between the two mates as the plan slowly etched within her mind. One quick scan of the room only confirmed that the entire class had waited for Marinette’s arrival with bated breath, most likely in hopes that the two would have made up at one point over the last three days. The class broke into hushed mumbles over the lack of interactions between the two, but the moment Adrien dropped his head in defeat was when the room was brought to silence. 

Homeroom passed in a blur. Alya waited until Nino and Adrien left the room before she nudged Marinette up and walked out of the room. They walked in silence, a thankful reprieve to the constant buzz of words her brain was trying to digest in order for her plan to work. The moment they reached Marinette’s class, Alya turned and noticed her friend’s hesitation and Alya tried to reassure her with a forced smile. 

She placed one hand on Marinette’s shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze before she said her goodbyes and made her way to her own class. Marinette stared at the doorway, contemplating whether it would be wise to skip class or suck it up and walk in. She tried to enter the classroom by taking two steps towards the open door, but her anxiety made her dwell longer than she intended. She took in one large stretch of air as she closed her eyes and slowly let out the held breath between her pursed lips. She opened her eyes and licked her lips, finally psyching herself up enough to just walk into the class. The moment she did, her eyes automatically honed in on the tall blonde at their assigned table and noticed that Adrien had already arrived and settled in. She paused, her heart hammering against her chest as she carefully eyed his hunched form. She didn’t get a chance to really look at him the moment he arrived earlier that morning, and his disheveled state only proved how awful he must be feeling. He was wearing a large black hooded sweatshirt over a pair of washed out jeans. His normally tamed hair was a ragged mess while the blonde locks poked out from under the hood. His face was buried in the confines of his crossed arms, but Marinette could see the paleness of his skin. The purple, bruised bags under his puffy, yet dull, green eyes peeked just above his arms, just enough for her to notice the lack of sleep he must had endured. 

Marinette could feel her heart cracking at the sight. Was seeing him in a calmed state through his window the night before just a fluke? Did she assume the worst before she even had a chance to ask? She wouldn’t dare think that this boy faked the hurt he was feeling. She could see that the normally vibrant ball of sunshine looked like the light literally left his body, and those presumptuous thoughts made the wracking guilt that was stewing inside her almost suffocating. 

“Miss Dupain-Cheng,” the professor sang out as he leaned against the desk, “whenever you are ready to sit down; please, be my guest.” He ended with a gesture to her seat. 

Marinette blushed crimson as the class let out a fit of giggles. She ran to her seat and removed the books from her bag as Mr. Lovell began the class. She tried her best not to look at Adrien, mostly due to the fear of her breaking down in tears over his ragged state. She could feel Tikki’s presence as she nudged her paw through the purse, but Marinette’s fleeting thoughts overpowered any calm the god tried to relay. 

She knew that trying to take one look at him would be a big mistake. She tried her hardest to avoid the temptation, even going as far as internally screaming at herself to not take the chance. But her heart spoke loudly over her thoughts, enticing her eyes to steal one glance. Just one and she would be fine. Her heart tried to reason with her brain, and her brain was failing to reason with her heart on the matter. But then she did it. Using the excuse of placing her bag down beside her foot, she lifted her gaze as she turned her face towards the board, and her heart sank again at his disheveled form. 

_Curse you heart,_ her brain yelled at the beating muscle as it pounded its blood through her body. She couldn’t believe that it was beating as normal as if her entire frame of mind didn’t just shatter into a million pieces. Yet, here she was, holding it together enough to make it through the class, hoping against all odds that it will just go smoothly until it ended. 

She tried to listen to the professor, tried to focus on the lesson that he had planned to give. Unfortunately, her hands decided that doodling tears and shriveled up flowers was a better use of her time. 

Adrien tried to do the same, keeping his eyes onto the teacher instead of turning to the love of his life and pleading for her forgiveness. He then began to doodle in the margins, trying to work his way through the mess of his mind. The anxious coil turned his stomach as he tried to not let her closeness affect his troubling heart. He longed to touch her, to hold her hand under the table. He wanted to sneak glances at her form as she wrote in her notebook, enjoy the subtle movements as she stuck her tongue out as she was deep in thought. He wanted to pretend that they were passing notes in class like they normally did before his rut began. But here he was, focusing on the sadness that was seeping from his heart and trying to hold off the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. 

“Shakespeare not only was a revolutionary as he created these meticulous works of art with the comfort of his quill and candlelight, but he also donned the exquisite handling of heated arguments through satire.” Mr. Lovell drawled out as the class watched him articulate his lesson plan. 

Finally, Adrien glanced to the side. It was subtle at first; just his eyes darting to her hunched form. He looked back towards the front, but his mind’s eye already memorized her features. The thing that dawned on him the most was that she looked just as uncomfortable as he felt. She also wore a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts and her hair was messed up in a tangled bun. 

The last time she looked this terrible was when he had won her a fish at the carnival and it died three days later. And that was only because she had given him a name and bought an awesome looking fish tank and supplies before it died five hours later... 

And even though she looked terrible, she was still absolutely beautiful in every way. 

Curiously, he glanced over at her again, this time focusing on her facial features. Her blue eyes were dull, but her orbs were red and puffy and glazed with a shimmery gloss. He could tell that she had been crying and he wanted so badly to just wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly, but he knew he couldn’t. 

Marinette could feel Adrien’s gaze on her, but she hoped that it was short lived and he was back to facing the teacher and taking notes. She didn’t want to risk a glance at him and see if he was still eyeing her, so she continued to look at the board. She let out a nearly silent sigh, yet she could sense Adrien stiffening at the sound. She tensed as she could picture what his mind was going through, how he could possibly feel her distress and the act of not helping her was going against all instincts in comforting her as his mate. The very reaction twisted the ever-increasing guilt in her belly and making her sick. 

She needed to talk to him. No. _No._ She so desperately _yearned_ to talk to him. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for putting him in this state. To apologize for her arrogance instead of communicating her thoughts to him. The want overpowered the need and collided within itself to make her anxious to just pull him away and forget this entire week and start over. The fears of losing her mate crashed over her all over again as the thoughts of never speaking to him about it came into play, and all she wanted was for this day to be over so she could pull him away and beg for forgiveness. Maybe she could faint and cause Adrien to pick her up and take them away and maybe she could talk to him about this whole mess- 

“Alright class. Today we are going to work through some of that satire in groups.” 

-and maybe it just wasn’t the right time. All she had to do was to get through this class and focus on the rest of the day, and maybe come up with a plan to finally talk to him once and for all. 

Her thoughts drifted again once the teacher announced the partner groups and all she could do was mutter under her breath when her name was called. 

Meanwhile, Adrien pursed his lips as he contemplated his next step in apologizing to Marinette. He needed to get her alone so they could talk, and he went over his apology in his head over a hundred times. He wanted to make sure it was perfect, to make sure that everything he was saying was sincere and magical, yet soft enough that she could feel the love pouring from his words. But watching her facial expressions as the teacher continued his lecture mesmerized him, allowing him to forget for one moment the heartbreak he was enduring. 

He noticed that her lips were chapped, but a part of her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth. That gesture alone was doing wonders to his heart and the whirlwind of imagery sprouting in the guttural hell of his brain were enjoying themselves too. 

“Mr. Agreste.” Mr. Lovell called out rather loudly. Adrien quickly turned his head and straightened his back. He realized that he had turned his body towards Marinette, and Marinette’s eyes were darting back and forth between the table and him. Sheepishly, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and hunched over in embarrassment. 

Mr. Lovell sighed as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. “Do you need me to repeat your partner for the class assignment and presentation?” 

“Partners?” 

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Please discuss the syllabus with your partner when you meet. He seems to need a bit of assistance with understanding the assignment.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Adrien groaned and bashed his head against the table once the realization of who he was to spend his afternoon study sessions with washed over him. 

* * *

“Nino. I’m telling you. If it worked for us. It will work for them.” 

“We cannot just lock them in a closet, Alya. That’s just terrible!” 

“Why not? Locking her in a room got them into this mess, and Ladybug locking us into a cage together got us into our mess. I think it’ll work!” 

“So you’re saying our relationship is a mess?” Nino added with a smirk. Alya gave him a light smack to his arm. 

“Nino! You know the only mess our relationship has is the mess we leave on our beds.” 

Nino’s eyebrows waggled at her words. “Then maybe you can show me how much of a mess you’re talking about tonight. Maybe after a little dinner, and definitely after a lot of dessert...” 

Alya purred at his words as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her lips, teasing the soft muscles with her loving embrace. He responded in kind, chasing her tongue with his own. Abruptly, she pulled away, tapping her finger against his nose. 

“As much as I would like to continue this little make out session, we need to talk about Adrien and Marinette and how to help them get over this hurdle.” 

Nino narrowed his eyes at the sudden postponement of their little make out session. “Right. By locking them in a closet...” 

“Think about it, babe. We were forced to talk to each other for HOURS, yet it opened us up to so much! Why not do the same for them? Plus, Marinette sent me an SOS when she left Literature. Those two buffoons are partnered up together for a project. From what she said, Adrien zoned out as he was staring at her and Marinette tried her damndest to ignore him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Lovell did it to get them together because those two are awkward as hell.” 

“You aren’t kidding, Als. Adrien’s already awkward enough with how sheltered he is. Throw in a broken heart and what was probably a misunderstanding, and you get a mangled, tall, ball of sunshine that looks like hell.” 

Alya hummed in agreement and waited until Nino thought over her idea. Having them being locked in a closet wouldn’t be a terribly bad idea. They just had to come up with the best way to trick them. So, what was the best way _to_ do it? 

A devious smile tugged at his lips. “Hey, babe? When’s the last time the kissing closet has been used?” 

“Oh, I don’t know!” She could see the gears turning in Nino’s head. The feigning tone in her voice reassured him that she was already liking the plan. “I think the cobwebs have taken over. Maybe we can fix that.” 

“I think I know _who_ could fix it instead.” 

* * *

“Dude. Seriously. You just need to relax. You’ll get the chance to talk to her and then things will get back to normal. Maybe even court her before she matures!” 

“Yeah, and maybe Hawkmoth will give Ladybug and Chat Noir his miraculous so we can stop dealing with akumas every other day.” 

Nino choked on his drink. “Oh stop. You have loads of chances before Hawkmoth hands over his miraculous on a silver platter.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes as he sat on the bench. He was waiting for study period to end before he had to move on to the next class. Studying in the quiet library was starting to overwhelm him and the duo decided that spending some time in the courtyard would be a better use of their time. 

_“...telling you, it’s the perfect ending for our senior year.”_

Nino smiled as he heard his girlfriend walking into the courtyard. He looked over to Adrien to see if he noticed the voice, but the blonde had shut his eyes and was basking in the sunlight. Nino hastily looked over his form and discovered that Adrien had stretched out his legs so he could lean against the backrest at a comfortable angle. This was the perfect opportunity to put their plan into action. 

“Dude. You should just- _whoa!”_

_Thud._

_Crash._

Nino walked in front of Adrien and tripped over his foot, bringing him and his glass bottle of juice crashing to the ground. Adrien shot up as soon as he felt Nino hit his ankles, but he was not quick enough to grab his arm and stop him from his collision to the ground. The glass flew towards the center of the courtyard, the bottle shattering into an array of sized crystals mixed with the red liquid splatter. 

“Nino! Are you okay?” Adrien sputtered out as he reached his hand towards his friend to help him to his feet. He took a moment to look him over to make sure he wasn’t seriously hurt. 

“Dude. I’m okay. I’m alright. Just didn’t see your feet there.” 

“I’m sorry, man.” 

Nino checked his hands and brushed the dirt off his pants, smiling to assure him it wasn’t a big deal. “My fault, dude. Your ankle okay?” 

“Yeah, that’s no big deal-” 

“Babe!” Alya cried out running to him. Marinette ran closely behind her. “Are you okay? That was a pretty mean fall.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” He looked over to the glass. “I should probably clean this up.” 

“I’ll grab the broom and mop.” Adrien offered. 

Alya watched as Adrien made his way towards the closet and then looked down over Nino’s outstretched hand. 

“Marinette? Could you grab a paper towel? I found a nasty cut on Nino’s hand. We should cover it before we walk to the nurse.” 

“Y-yeah, I’ll get it.” 

Marinette made her way to the closet and hesitated before walking into the small room. Adrien had just grabbed the broom and dustpan as Marinette tried to walk in to grab the towel. He tried to move to the side to make room for her as he looked for a bucket, but Marinette decided to wait for him to walk out instead. 

Quickly, Alya ran to the closet and shoved Marinette into it, closing the door and locking it from the outside. Nino ran over and high fived his girlfriend, then the two mates laughed as they heard the frantic fists pounding against the wood door. 

“Sorry, can’t hear you!” Alya called out to them. “The sounds of you making up are kind of loud. Once you quiet down, I’ll let you out.” 

Adrien looked over to Marinette as she pressed her finger to her lips. She gestured at him to keep quiet, hoping that not speaking was the way to let them out. 

“I’m not letting you out that easy.” Marinette’s thoughts were figured out and she pouted in response. “You have twenty minutes until the next class. I’ll be back. And just so you know, we switched the locks earlier. You can’t get out without a key and I have that key. So, either make up or you’ll stay in there until the end of the day.” 

“Come on, Alya!” Marinette squawked as she smacked the door. “Let us out.” 

When the trapped duo was met with silence, Marinette let out a defeated sigh. The dark closet was not helping the awkward tension between them, but the faint, ragged breathing troubled her. 

“Adrien?” She called out to him carefully. 

“Ma- Mari?” Adrien started to breathe a little harder and slightly faster. 

Marinette started to panic at what was happening. She tried to hide it and focused on remaining calm. Adrien needed her to be calm right now. 

“Adrien?” She reached out to him and caught his shoulder. She could feel him trembling underneath her fingertips. “Adrien. I’m right here. Do you feel my hand?” 

Adrien’s breaths started to become shallower and Marinette knew he would pass out from the lack of air if she didn’t do anything soon. He didn’t do well in enclosed spaces; it was the one thing he hated about himself. Years of being stuck in a mansion with no freedom in sight does something to your mental health. Marinette knew this, but none of his friends did. There was no reason for them to know until now. She’ll pull her friends away later and scold them for it – with love, not anger – and hope to kwami’s that this would be the last time it would happen. 

“Adrien. Listen to my voice. Okay?” She brought her hand up to his cheek and she could feel him shake, but his nod ensured her that he was still listening. “I’m going to look for the light, okay? That will help with the claustrophobia.” Another nod. “I’m going to place your hand on my shoulder so you know I’m still here.” One more nod and Marinette helped Adrien bring his hand up to her shoulder. 

Marinette started to search for the light source against the walls near the door jam. When she couldn’t immediately find it, she grabbed her phone and clicked on the flashlight feature, looking for the switch with ease. When the closet lit up, Marinette turned around and saw Adrien’s drooping form. His head was bowed towards the ground with his hand still on Marinette’s shoulder. He tried to take in slow breaths as his eyes adjusted to the light. 

“Adrien.” Marinette whispered as she slowly walked towards him. It didn’t take much to reach him, but she did it carefully as to not scare him. She placed her hands on his cheeks and rubbed soothing circles to them with the pads of her thumbs, helping him ground him from the darkness he was creeping into. 

“Adrien. I’m right here. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. Are you okay?” 

Adrien huffed out a dry laugh, finally seeing the light around him again. “Can’t go anywhere- did you- forget?” He managed to say between breaths. 

“Yeah. But I made you laugh. That’s important.” 

Adrien tried to smile in between his rapid heartbeat and calming breaths and tried to focus on the pheromones that Marinette was emitting. She didn’t know it, but her scent was calming him down and the sweet vanilla was seeping into his body like an elixir coating his tastebuds. 

He grabbed her hands and held them tightly in his, squeezing his sincerity in them. 

“I’m- sorry.” He breathed out, chancing a glance through his lashes. 

Marinette froze and looked up at him, confused as to why he was apologizing. “Don’t you apologize for something you can’t control. They put us in here-” 

“No. No.” He interrupted and shook his head. “I’m sorry for- being an asshole- to you.” 

_Wait-_ “Adrien, what? You’re not an asshole. If anything, I’m the asshole. Look at us! I caused this.” 

Adrien finally caught his breath and looked up at her. His eyes were slightly wet and his expression was pained. “No, I was. You had every right to get mad at me for what I did. I locked you into a classroom during an attack. I wanted to protect you but I didn’t think about the consequences if something else were to happen. That was such a stupid, selfish, and reckless thing of me to do to you.” 

Marinette pursed her lips into a tight line. She took one more step forward and placed a hand to his cheek. “I was the asshole, Adrien. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. You didn’t deserve it. You deserved an explanation, as did I, but you scared me and you didn’t come back until well after the battle was done. I was so scared something bad happened to you.” The tears started to fall as the thought of losing him started to crash against her mind again. “I just found you, like truly found you. I don’t want to lose you before I’m able to spend my life with you.” She clenched her eyes to stop the rush of tears. “You don’t have a miraculous, Adrien. You can’t save the world.” 

Adrien nodded at her words and tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He was unsure of what he could say to that without spilling his secret. She didn’t know he had one, and couldn’t know, at least not yet, and until then, he decided to just nod at her words. 

“I don’t want to lose you either, Marinette. I promise that next time, I’ll hide with you or bring you to a safe place that you can easily escape from if you needed to. Like...” he paused, thinking of an easy place that he could escape to transform and where she would remain safe, “...oh, like the bathroom! Safe, small, and easily accessible.” 

Marinette let out a small giggle, but then peered up at his gaze. “I think the bathroom works. As long as you hide in the bathroom, too.” 

“Deal. But I’ll hide in the boy's bathroom instead. I don’t think the girls need to see a boy hanging around in there.” 

“Yeah, probably a good idea unless you want me to dress you up and put makeup on your face.” 

Adrien screwed his face up in disgust. “No thanks. I do enough of that at my job.” 

The two of them shared a chuckle before the awkward silence took over. Adrien was still holding onto her hands, and the soft feeling of her skin was filling him up with warmth. But when he looked back into her eyes, he could see that Marinette wanted to recoil back into herself. It was one of those quirky things she did when something was on her mind. Adrien let out an anxious breath and knew this would be the perfect time to break the ice and talk to her. 

“Hey. Since we both feel like assholes and our feeling are out there in the open waiting to be told what to do, why don’t... we start over?” He shrugged as he waited for her response. 

Marinette tilted her head. “What do you mean start over?” 

Adrien smirked and took out his hand. She looked at it curiously before cautiously grabbing his hand and slowly shaking it. 

“Hi. My name is Adrien Agreste, and I’m an asshole alpha who is in love with this super sweet, super amazing girl with raven hair, sparkling blue eyes, and freckle-speckled skin. And because he’s in love with this girl, he acts stupid and foolish to protect her that he forgets that she has feelings too.” 

Marinette smiled and caught on to what he meant. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Agreste. Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain-Cheng here and I’m the girl who apparently has captured this asshole alpha’s heart. She’s hopelessly in love with him over his smile and protective state and she hopes he can forgive her for her outburst. If he does, then she will forgive him for his eagerness in trying anything to protect his mate.” 

Adrien perked up at her words. “You’re in love with me?” 

“Hopelessly in love with you since the day we first met. I’ve always just had a knack for hiding it.” 

“Well, I’m so hopelessly in love with you that I don’t think I would ever want to hurt you. Ever again. Never ever. Did I mention never? Because this week was horrible.” 

Marinette hummed in response before whispering enough to be only heard by him. “Then don’t.” 

Her tone enticed him to lift his palm and cup her cheek, pressing his thumb against her cheekbone to swipe away any of the residual tears that had fallen against her pale skin. He brought his nose down to lightly brush against hers, while the wistful tension between them filled them with hope of happier moments that were bound to come. 

Adrien smiled against her lips. “Well this asshole would like to take this girl out on a date. Do you happen to know how he can achieve that? Seems like the odds are against him at the moment.” 

“Really? Because I think I know a way.” 

Marinette smiled as she leaned in closer, their noses nuzzling as her lips teased against his. Their breaths mingled in the space between them as their eyes fluttered closed. Soon, the small space dwindled into nothing as their lips danced together in simple symphony. 

The soft lips continued their ministrations as the warmth seeped through their touch. It was slow and careful. There was no rush, no need to catch up on missed days, and no desire to take everything now that they would eventually give to each other in the future. They only wanted to focus on the now, on the love and protection and hope that this first kiss could bring. Slowly, they pulled apart and Adrien leaned his forehead against hers, stealing a quick peck against her temple as she wrapped her arms around his waist. 

Adrien leaned back to gaze into her eyes. “I love you, my beautiful soulmate.” 

Marinette gazed into his and smiled. “I love you too, my fierce alpha.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only took 16 chapters for them to finally be together!


	17. Chapter 17

Alya and Nino pressed their ears against the doors, trying to hear what Marinette and Adrien were doing. The conniving mates had come back after leaving the heartbroken duo to figure their issues out on their own, while also giving the two betas a bit of free time to make out in a secret area of the library. They arrived back ten minutes later, giving Adrien and Marinette at least ten minutes of complete privacy to themselves. 

Nino had been extremely firm on the privacy provision even though Alya was skeptical in leaving them completely alone. Her reasoning? She needed to make sure her best friend was safe in case Adrien attempted something, much to Nino’s assurance that the blond wouldn’t do anything to harm her. She knew that too, but she felt it was better safe than sorry. Understanding Alya’s hesitation, they compromised with a bit of privacy and a bit of eavesdropping to settle their moods. 

“Do you hear anything?” Alya mouthed to Nino as they listened for any sound. 

“Only muffles.” Nino mouthed back before hearing something knock over inside. Soon a thump happened, followed by a slam, and both Alya and Nino went wide eyed at the commotion. Nino opened the door in a panic, swinging open the door wide open to pry the two apart. Instead, there was a loud yelp followed by two tangled bodies falling onto the floor. Adrien had managed to break the fall by landing on his back, while Marinette landed right on top of him. 

Nino and Alya stood over the two mates and smirked, Alya crossing her arms and jutting out her hip as she tried to stifle a laugh. Marinette buried her messy head of hair into Adrien’s chest, while Adrien tried to fix his hair with one hand and cupping the back of Marinette’s head with the other to help hide her better. 

“You two dudes okay?” Nino asked curiously, he too trying to stifle a laugh. “Oh, and dude?” 

Adrien cleared his throat and looked up at his best friend with a nod. Marinette only squeaked as she buried her face further into Adrien’s sweatshirt as she tried to cool down from her embarrassment. 

“Didn’t know purple was your color.” 

“What do you mean, purple? Adrien finally croaked out as he looked down at himself. Was there a shade of purple somewhere? If anything, he thought Nino would say that red was his color due to the intense heat radiating off his cheeks from the embarrassment of getting caught. Marinette finally removed her face from the fabric to peer up at Adrien, but went wide eyed instead, prompting Adrien to slightly panic in response. 

When he looked back up at Nino, Nino had screwed his lips while gesturing all around his neck. He knew exactly what it meant. He and Marinette had spent a little extra time nibbling and kissing the crook of each other’s necks after sharing their first kiss. While they did not plan on mating or biting in the closet without at least courting first, that didn’t mean they stopped at sweet, tender kisses. But hickeys weren’t on their radar either and Adrien knew he was fucked. There was no way of hiding the hickeys from his father when he had a photoshoot to attend to that afternoon. Well, there would have been a way to hide it if his father wasn’t attending this one for stakeholder reasons. 

Adrien groaned and his fell back onto the ground. “My father’s going to murder me.” 

* * *

“You said that I would be able to get her.” Jordan seethed at the girl in front of him. 

Lila leaned back against the locker. One arm was in front of her torso with her hand propping up her other arm, and she was looking at her fingernails with an indifferent expression. Jordan was leaning into her space while one arm trapped her against the locker, while a low growl emanated from his chest. 

“In due time, my sweet alpha.” Lila patted his chest and pushed herself off the locker doors. 

“Not your alpha.” 

“Not yet.” She smirked while blowing him a kiss. “Last night was delicious though. Not sure how much longer we’ll have these nights together until you claim that bitch. Not sure why you want her though. Don’t you think that I'm just as worthy?” 

“Nope. Never in a million years. You’re slimy and a bitch yourself. Not sure how much nicer I can put it.” 

“Nice enough for me to enjoy it.” Lila placed her hand on his cheek and he quickly turned away. “You know how much I love it when you talk dirty to me.” 

Jordan pretended to gag as Lila walked away. 

“Soon, Jordan. Marinette and Adrien can’t even talk to each other. They can’t even look at each other without crying.” 

“Did you forget that Alya and Nino tossed them in a closet ten minutes ago?” 

Lila whipped her head around so quickly that her ponytail hit her in the face. “What?” 

“Alya. And. Nino. Locked. Them. In. A. Closet.” Jordan enunciated slowly for the brunette to understand more clearly. 

“Fuck you.” Lila started before growling in frustration. “What the fuck.” 

“What’s the matter? Did I throw off your plans to mooch off the golden alpha?” 

Lila stood there for a moment to think. She then tilted her head and blinked before a mischievous smirk stretched her lips. 

“Actually, no.” She began, turning back towards the door to the courtyard. “Only makes me want to steal him away from her so much more.” 

Jordan followed Lila out to the courtyard where they noticed Adrien and Marinette holding hands. Marinette and Alya were looking at Adrien’s neck, and they were laughing at something that Nino had said. Lila’s face dropped into a sneer, while Jordan’s expression was more of a bitter disbelief. 

Jordan leaned down to whisper into Lila’s ear. “Better change your plans, buttercup. Sounds like they made up.” 

Lila shoved Jordan away and walked away with a stomp. Jordan continued to watch the two mates as Marinette curled into Adrien, his heart ravaging in a simmering anger once more. 

* * *

Saturday evening came and Adrien was an absolute sweaty mess. He had made reservations at L'Atelier Etoile de Joël Robuchon in Champ-Elysée, bought her a bouquet of her favorite red roses and pink peonies, and asked his father if they could use the fancier black Mercedes-Maybach sedan with the fancy leather seats to drive them there. 

He had one of his designer friends help him choose a suitable casual outfit fit for both comfort and style. Elijah, had come by early Saturday morning to help him sort through his closet, making sure the outfit would complement whatever Marinette wore along with being suitable enough for that restaurant. 

After his third shower, his second time brushing his teeth, and the fifth time checking to make sure the fading hickey marks were covered, Adrien left to head to Marinette’s house with flowers in hand. All his nervous energy was directed to his bouncing knee, and Adrien spent most of his time staring out the window and biting his thumb. 

Plagg looked up at him and shook his head, and tried his best to whisper cheese metaphors to brighten up his mood. 

Adrien wasn’t sure why he was nervous. This was his best friend and now his mate. They were able to surpass the horrible week they had, and now they were going on a hopefully amazing first date that would show her how important and serious he was in courting her. 

Simon pulled up to the bakery and Adrien walked out with slight hesitation. He stood in front of the door and rang the doorbell, tugging the sleeve of his white button-down shirt over his silver Gabriel watch. The top two buttons were undone and he wore a simple tan dinner jacket over it with a navy pocket square adorned in the breast pocket. He paired the outfit with a pair a dark blue skinny jeans and a black belt with a silver buckle, and finished the look with a pair of cement suede boat shoes. 

Tom walked down the steps from their home and smiled brightly at his daughter’s date. 

“Adrien, my boy! Look at you. She’s not going to be able to keep her hands off you.” 

Adrien blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, showcasing how nervous he really was for this date. “Don’t want her to do that, sir. I promise I’ll bring her back the way she left.” 

Tom chuckled as he pressed his large hands into his shoulders. “Adrien, relax. I’m only teasing you. And you’ve been here long enough to know to call me Tom. No reason to call me sir now that you’re courting Marinette instead of being just her friend. You’re family now! Always have been.” He finished with a wink. “Come on. Marinette is finishing up and I know Sabine is waiting to see you.” 

Adrien let out an anxious sigh as Tom led him up the stairs to the apartment. He walked into the room and saw Sabine sitting on the couch, waiting for everyone to arrive. 

“Adrien!” She walked over and gave him a once over. “Don’t you look dashing in that. Marinette won’t be able to keep her hands off you.” She scrunched up her nose in a tease and Adrien blushed once again. 

“Now, now, Sabine. I already teased the boy with the same line downstairs.” 

“Oh, Tom-” She started, but stopped when the trio heard the trap door open. 

Adrien stepped forward and waited with bated breath as Marinette made her way down the stairs. His jaw dropped when he noticed the blush pink kitten heels with thin straps wrapped around her ankles. His eyes slowly trailed up to see her smooth, bare legs until he reached the hem of the sleeveless, navy blue skater dress with a deep v-neckline that accentuated her curves. She wore a pink pearl necklace and bracelet to match, along with a blush pink shawl around her elbows and pink clutch in her hand. Her hair was pinned back to one side with a crystal flower pin, allowing her curls to bounce along her left shoulder. She kept her makeup light, with a pink gloss on her lips to match, yet she looked absolutely radiant as she made her way to the bottom step. 

Tom slowly crept up behind Adrien and lifted his finger to his jaw to help him close it shut. Marinette giggled and Adrien blushed, and Tom only nudged Adrien in the ribs in good faith. 

“Wow.” Adrien finally said, making Marinette go pink on the cheeks. “You are absolutely stunning.” 

Marinette looked down before peering up at his peridot orbs. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” 

Adrien smiled and extended his hand out to grab hers. He cradled her palm before bringing it up, placing a simple kiss to the back of her hand. He then handed her the flowers and a bright smile curled on her lips. 

She took the flowers and brought them to her nose. “Adrien. These are gorgeous. Thank you!” 

“How about I take these and place them in water. You don’t want to be late for your reservations.” Sabine offered as she took the flowers from her daughter. 

“Thanks, maman.” 

“We should go, Marinette. Our reservations are in thirty minutes and there’s a bit of traffic on the way there.” 

Marinette nodded and the two said their goodbyes as they walked out the door. Adrien helped Marinette down the stairs until they reached the sedan, and Marinette gasped in surprise. 

“Adrien. Where did you get this car?” 

Adrien chuckled and opened the door. It’s in my dad’s collection. He only uses it every once in a while. I asked if we could use it tonight and he happily obliged.” 

“Well, thank you Mr. Agreste for the goods.” Marinette giggled and made her way into the sedan. Adrien followed her in and held her hand in his lap the entire way to the restaurant. 

Once they arrived, Marinette gazed around the restaurant and could not believe how warm the ambiance was. It was absolutely stunning. Red and gold décor were adorned everywhere with hints of black mixed in between. Cream colored candles were placed on each table and on the back of the bar, while the wrought iron sconces held a golden light to keep the candlelight theme going. 

Adrien had requested a secluded spot in the private area, hoping to keep the paparazzi at bay while they went on their date. Gabriel had yet to announce that Adrien has found his mate, and early discussions prior to their mutual confessions had already planned to keep it quiet until a decision between the two mates were made. It would happen when either Marinette matured or when they both had decided to bond officially. 

Marinette hummed as she looked over the menu, and Adrien ordered one of the fanciest wines that the restaurant owned. She gave him an incredulous glare, and Adrien only shrugged. 

“I just want this night to go well.” He finally said, his eyes betraying his words. She could see the sadness in them, and she knew it was due to how their first few days had been after the akuma attack. 

“Adrien. Even if we ate ice cream in the park, I would consider that an amazing date. Do you want to know why?” 

“Why?” 

“Because I’m spending it with you.” 

Adrien smiled and leaned over to place a loving kiss to her lips, before pulling back and narrowing his eyes. 

“You’re such a sap.” 

“So what? Do you like it?” She teased. 

“I love it.” He retorted back. 

The waiter came with the wine and poured it into their wine glasses and took their orders. The two fell into comfortable conversations, both talking about school, work, graduation, and summer plans. When the waiter came to deliver their food, Marinette couldn’t believe the deliciousness in front of them. 

They each tried their own meals before stealing bites of the other’s plates, then fell back into the laughter and stories they had both come to enjoy. Taking a sip of her wine, Marinette decided it was the perfect opportunity to talk about the topic the weighed heavily on her mind. 

“You know,” Marinette began, placing her glass down and went forward to moving the peas around on her plate with her fork, “I’ve been thinking a lot about something, and I wanted to know how you felt.” 

“Sounds serious.” 

“Only slightly. Well, more than slightly.” She looked down and poked a piece of her fish before bringing it to her mouth to chew it slowly. Adrien took a bite of his meal, knowing she just needed an extra moment to gather her thoughts. When she was ready, she spoke again. “I’m just wondering what would happen if and when I go into heat.” 

Adrien choked on his bite, then took a sip of wine to help it go down. “Sorry. It went down the wrong pipe.” He croaked. “Continue?” 

Marinette eyed him carefully before trying again. “I’m just wondering if we should or shouldn’t go with our mating bites at that time.” 

Adrien tilted his head in contemplation. “You know we don’t have to make this decision now.” 

“I know, but I’ve been thinking... and reading... and I found out that omegas in heat only want one thing. If I really am an omega, then I might want you to take me fully at that time. That might include you biting me.” 

Adrien pursed his lips as he thought it over. “Do you- not want that?” 

“I think I do. I mean, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but is that fair that you spent your rut without your mate and had to handle all of that yourself, but I get to spend mine with you and get a bond out of it? You had a few protective attacks during your time, but I wasn’t there to calm you.” 

“Technically, you provoked one-” 

“Adrien! I already feel bad about that one. I never should have asked Nino to bring you that gift.” 

He chuckled. “You didn’t know! I only realized it a day or two before and Nino had no idea I was dreaming about you.” 

Marinette looked to the side as she thought about it. Adrien took her hand in his and rubbed the back of her knuckles. “Listen. If you don’t want to bond, we don’t have to. I’ll be there for you and help you through it, but I promise I won’t bite until you tell me that you’re ready.” 

“Maybe when I go through the next one? But promise me you won’t bite unless I say something while I’m completely sober from the affects. Please promise me?” 

“Mari, I promise that I will not take advantage of you or bite you. I want to be with you forever and I’ll wait forever and a day for you until you say so. I promise.” 

Marinette looked up at him slightly teary eyed. Adrien leaned his head towards hers to kiss her lips, enjoying every soft suckle and peck that she would give him. 

She pulled back and locked her gaze with his, biting her lip as she tossed an idea around in her head. Adrien noticed her indecision and decided that he could try to poke the thought out, even though she looked adorable making that face. 

“What do you have in your pretty little head, my love?” 

“Just because I might not want to bond with our bites doesn’t mean we can’t bond in other ways.” Adrien’s eyes darkened at the thought and Marinette lowered her lashes as she lowered her tone. “And I could only imagine how much stronger our bond would be after a few _intimate_ nights together.” 

A growl of excitement started to form in his chest as the words circulated his mind. Marinette pulled away when she heard the waiter come to take their plates away and hand them their dessert menus. 

Adrien sat and imagined how that time would be with her. He gave her permission to love her however she needed while going through her heat, minus the mating bites at this time. Being with her like that set his skin on fire and he couldn’t wait until the moment he could treat her like the princess she is. 

“I love you.” Adrien said as she perused the menu. 

Marinette looked up at him and gave him a tender smile. “I love you too.” 

With their hearts on their sleeves, and their futures communicated in happy conversations, they enjoyed the remainder of their date in the comfort of each other's embrace, a simple walk down the Seine until the moon shone over their heads, and a kiss goodnight at her door before they parted ways for the night. 

* * *

Adrien watched as Marinette sauntered towards him from her spot across the room. She was wearing nothing but his light blue button-down shirt, her dark hair down in cascading locks around the edges of her shoulders. The steel gray buttons weren’t buttoned, and he could see the edges of her soft perky breasts peeking through. His eyes traveled down the gap until he reached her pussy, then trailed back up until he reached her shimmering blue eyes. Her enchanting gaze made him lick his lips, and he motioned for her to reach him with his index finger. 

As she slowly stepped towards him, he noticed that her hands held a lime green tie. She brought the silk fabric up and over her head, leaving it loose around her neck. The tail of the tie fell beautifully between her breasts, and it only made him lust for her more. 

Marinette reached the edge of the bed and crawled towards him. She reached his naked form and bit her bottom lip, the enchanting gaze darkening with desire. Adrien reached out to grab the tie, wrapping the tail firmly around his palm before pulling her down and kissing her passionately. 

The growl that escaped his lips made her moan into his mouth. He reached around her hovering form to grab her tight ass and she allowed him to bring her hips closer to his. Her knees hit the bed and she straddled him, her wet sex gently pressing against his hardened length. 

Marinette took the lead with the passionate kisses, taking their locked lips and pulling them apart as he tried to nibble on her bottom lip. She shook her head no as her eyes shifted to a demure gaze, then leaned back down to his lips to run her tongue across his bottom lip. He parted his lips, expecting her to push her tongue through to tangle with his, but was surprised when she took his bottom lip between her lips and lightly sucked on it instead. 

He mewled at the action, but then moaned when she nibbled on his lip. Quickly, she pulled on his lip with her teeth, before letting it go and ravishing the soft muscles once again. She snuck her tongue into his hot mouth as she ran her fingers down his taut muscles, her hands finally reaching the “v” of his hips. 

Adrien pulled back from her lips and was about to remove his hands away from the tie and her ass, finally realizing his hands weren’t around her anymore. Looking up, he noticed his wrists were bound to the bedframe, tied up with the red ribbons that she normally wore in her hair. 

Marinette was still straddling his hips as she gave him a sultry wink. She pressed kisses on the crook of his neck, trailing down until she reached his clavicle. He let out a sigh as she continued her trek down, pressing tender kisses down his chest and abs until she reached his hips. 

She placed one kiss on one hip then hovered over his erect cock. “My, my,” she finally spoke before placing a second kiss to his other hip, “someone is enjoying my show.” 

“Mari-” 

“Ah, ah, ah.” She interrupted and placed a kiss to the tip of his cock. “It’s my turn to ravish you, my alpha.” 

“My omega.” Adrien breathed out as she placed a lingering kiss to the base of his cock. 

“Mm.” Marinette hummed as she licked from the base to the tip. “I love it when you call me that.” 

“Only the best for my mate.” 

“Well expect the best from me then.” 

Marinette focused her attention back on his cock, taking in the delicious member with every lick and suck that she could possibly give him. She started with a few pumps to his dick, humming with delight when precum started to spill from his slit. 

She ran her thumb against the tip, coating the head with his seed. She then placed one more kiss to the tip, pumping for a second more, before engulfing his cock with her warm mouth. 

Adrien threw his head back in elation. The feeling of her ravishing him this way felt better than he could have ever imagined. 

She swirled her tongue around the head of his cock then edged her head down until it sat comfortably in her mouth. She wrapped her hand around the exposed part of his cock, then bobbed her head up and down slowly while pumping him in tandem. She took her time to enjoy the taste and feel of his swollen member, and Adrien whimpered at the slow ministrations. He bucked his hips in retaliation, hoping to get himself deeper into her throat. She responded by removing her mouth from his cock and smiling at him before lunging back down, deeper and farther than he thought possible. 

Adrien looked down and noticed that there was barely any skin left in his view, maybe a finger width or two left until her lips reached his pelvis. She started to bob again, and Adrien could feel the tip pressing against the back of her throat. The sensation and the feeling of his cock being enveloped by her warm mouth, the tongue pressing against his length, being tied up... it was all becoming too much. 

The familiar feeling of his arousal started to wind up. The sweat started to form on his forehead, dampening his golden locks. His breathing came out in ragged pants, and he clenched his fists as the sensation deepened. 

“Marinette.” Adrien moaned out as he bucked his hips and tensed up. She could feel his body beginning to heat up, and his cock began to swell as his orgasm edged on. 

Marinette continued to suck and bob, edging him on until the coil snapped, the streams of cum shooting to the back of her throat. She graciously swallowed every droplet that ran down her throat, and Adrien couldn’t deny how sexy it was. She licked and cleaned him off completely with her tongue and Adrien groaned when she gave his cock one more kiss at the tip. She then climbed back up to his face and ravished his lips, sucking his tongue with her mouth. He wished so badly that he could touch her and kiss her passionately for the amazing work she had done. 

Marinette let go of his lips and gazed into his eyes. 

“Adrien. I need to tell you something.” 

“And what’s that, princess?” 

Marinette tilted her head and smirked at his selection of words, tapping her finger against his lips. 

“It’s time to wake up.” 

Adrien opened his eyes and noticed that he was laying on his bed, his brow covered in beaded sweat. Apparently, his shirt had come off at some point in the night, and his hand felt... sticky? Adrien sat up and noticed that his sheets were kicked around, his boxers were off and discarded at the edge of his bed, and his body was covered in his spunk. 

“Why am I covered in cum? And why the fuck did I have dreams about Marinette again?” 

Plagg was sleeping in the corner as Adrien mumbled profanities to himself. “Isn’t she your mate? Doesn’t that mean that this gross thing is a constant dilemma?” 

Adrien glared at his kwami. “I haven’t dreamed of her like this in weeks. Not since my rut... wait. Does that mean I'm going to go through that shit again?” Adrien ran a hand through his hair in disbelief before realizing that it was the hand that was still covered with spunk. Plagg could only laugh at his stupidity. 

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. “Adrien. Are you awake?” 

“Yeah, Nathalie. I’m up. I’m... going to clean up now.” He looked at himself before grabbing the boxers and attempting to wipe some of it off. “Uh, would Simon be able to take me to Marinette’s for breakfast? I’ll keep the meal light.” Adrien added with an eyeroll. He totally needed a fattening danish after that dream. 

There was a slight pause before Nathalie spoke up again. “I don’t see an issue with that. Come down in fifteen minutes and I’ll notify Simon to be ready by that time. I will also notify your father that you will not be joining him for breakfast.” 

“Thanks, Nathalie. Let my father know that I’ll join him for lunch this afternoon if he wishes instead.” 

“I’ll notify you of his answer.” 

As soon as he heard the distant echo from the clicking of her heels, Adrien hastily made his way to the bathroom to get ready, quickly forgetting the dream in the process. 

* * *

Marinette’s eyes shot open as the alarm went off beside her. “What the fuck was that?” She groaned, trying to cover up her face with her duvet. 

“That was the sound of your alarm, Marinette.” Tikki laughed, not understanding the meaning behind her words. 

Marinette shut off her alarm and was about to explain when she noticed a message from Adrien. 

**Adrien <3: ** _Morning my love. I hope you slept well._

Marinette smiled at his words. He always made sure she was okay every morning. Biting her lip, she contemplated about what she wanted to say. Deciding to keep the dream to herself for now, Marinette responded without context. 

**Marinette:** _Slept deliciously well. Ready to see you. Hope you slept well, too._

**Adrien <3: ** _I slept deliciously well, as well._ 😉 _I’m ready to see you too. I’m pulling up to the bakery right now._

Marinette squeaked. She wasn’t expecting him to come over this morning. 

**Marinette:** _ADRIEN! WHAT THE HECK. I JUST WOKE UP!_

**Adrien <3: ** _Then you better get up, love._ _I’ll_ _be waiting for you._

Without another word, Marinette made her way to the closet and picked out a pair of gray shorts and a cute flowy, white top. She paired the outfit with black high-top sneakers and a black three-quarter sleeved cardigan, then made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and tie her hair up into a high ponytail. She finished her routine with some eyeliner, mascara, and pink lip gloss, then grabbed her bookbag and made her way down to the bakery. 

Marinette stopped at the doorway when she noticed Adrien chatting with her mom and dad, while Simon was enjoying his breakfast pastry and coffee at one of the tables. Her heart swelled at sight. Adrien had always been part of the family ever since they became friends but seeing the love of her life feeling so carefree in her home filled her up with so much love that she didn’t know how she contained it so well. 

She envisioned her life with this man for as long as she could remember, yet here she was finally living that dream. She never thought that her dreams and her reality would collide into one perfect mess within this lifetime, and she couldn’t thank her lucky stars enough for that opportunity. Three weeks of being with him have been completely amazing, and she never wanted to wake up from this dream. 

Marinette smiled brightly as she instantly thought about the pups she would love to have with him. The home they would make together. The hamster they could finally buy and would name- 

“Hey, Marinette!” Adrien called out to her, finally bringing her back to the bakery. Marinette shook her head of the hopeful thoughts and waved to him, then walked up to him and placed a quick kiss to his lips. 

“Hey, love. Fancy seeing you here this early in the morning.” Marinette turned towards Simon and called out to him with a wave. “Hi, Simon!” 

Simon waved hello then went back to sipping on his coffee. 

“Thought I would have breakfast with you this morning and then have Simon drive us to school. It looks like it might rain any minute, and didn’t want to get us wet on our way in. Hope that’s okay.” 

“Always okay. I was just surprised. Next time, call me and warn me, please!” She poked him in the ribs to tickle him, and Sabine and Tom promptly laughed at their daughter’s playful scolding. 

“Adrien was just telling us about the fencing match he had a few days ago.” Sabine explained before offering to make her a cup of coffee. 

Marinette nodded to the request then furrowed her brow as she grabbed a couple of croissants and cookies to snack on throughout the day. “The one that you lost by a point?” 

“Yup. That’s the one. I was telling them how I lost my footing because a fly made its way into my suit.” Adrien added with a look of bewilderment. “I still have no idea how it got in there! Completely bugged me out there for a second. I wish I was a fly on the wall so I could see how silly I looked.” 

Marinette sighed rather loudly while Tom bellowed out in response. Adrien cracked a dorky smile that had all his pearly white teeth showing through his perfectly peach lips. She picked up the coffee that Sabine held in her outstretch hand before she kissed her parents goodbye, then grabbed onto his arm to drag him out of the bakery before he tried to say anything else. 

“Bye Tom! Bye Sabine!” Adrien yelled out with an exaggerated wave before the door shut behind him. Simon picked up his to go cup and nodded his thanks to the bakers before making his way out the door. 

Once Adrien and Marinette got into the car, Marinette grabbed a croissant out of the pastry bag then offered the bag to Adrien for him to take a pastry for himself. 

“What’s the matter, Marinette? Didn’t like how I came up with that on the fly? I’ll buzz off if you need me to, but I can’t say that I'll bee-have the rest of the day.” 

Marinette groaned. “It wasn’t even a bee! What’s the point of adding a bee pun when it was a fly that cost you the point?” 

“Eh, that’s just semantics.” Adrien said before biting into his croissant. “I made you laugh though, that’s all that counts.” 

“Mhmm.” Marinette peeled a piece of pastry before an intriguing scent hit her. She dropped her hands down to her lap before sniffing the air to try and pinpoint where the smell was coming from. Adrien watched her curiously and Marinette blushed. “Sorry. Something smells good. Like rain during a storm. It’s calming.” 

“Maybe it’s the new air freshener? I think Simon bought one recently.” Adrien looked towards his driver and he grunted in response, but Marinette wasn’t sure if he was agreeing with Adrien or denying that he bought a new scent. 

She looked back down to the pastry in her hand, ate the entire croissant, then eyed the bag in Adrien’s hand again, contemplating if she wanted another. When her stomach rumbled, she poked him. “Hey, is there any more croissants? I’m still a little hungry.” 

Adrien looked into the bag and smiled when he saw there was still a pastry in the bag. “Yeah, here- hey, are you okay? Your cheeks are red.” 

Marinette brought her hands up to her cheeks and could feel the heat radiating from it. “Oh- um. Yeah?” She swallowed, unsure what was going on. “Just a little embarrassed for sniffing like that.” 

“The sniffing usually means you’ll be maturing soon. I started getting like that a few weeks before my rut. I could smell peoples scents so much better than when I was a pup.” 

Marinette looked at him and considered his words. “Yeah, you’re right. That’s probably what it is. My maman told me that too during one of our talks.” 

Adrien reached out and grabbed Marinette’s free hand. “Well, you have nothing to worry about. I’m right here, okay?” 

Marinette smiled and wrapped her fingers around his. “I know. Thanks, Adrien.” 

Adrien lifted her palm and pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand, his eyesight never leaving hers. 

Simon arrived in front of the school and Adrien opened his door and stepped out of the car. He reached out to help Marinette, and she gladly accepted, intertwining her fingers with his once she was out of the car completely. They both said their goodbyes and turned their way towards the school, meeting up with Alya and Nino at the front steps. 

“Hey guys. Got the taxi service today?” Alya asked as Nino bumped Adrien’s hand. 

“Yeah. Looked like it was going to rain today, so I asked Simon to drive us.” 

“Cool. Cool.” Nino said as they headed in. 

The gang made their way into the building and through the courtyard until they reached the locker rooms. Nino and Adrien made their way towards their side of the room while the girls headed to theirs. Once they got their books, the four joined back together in the courtyard before making their way to homeroom. Adrien and Nino made their way up the stairs first, with Marinette and Alya trailing behind. 

Marinette started to feel warm all over and cleared her throat to get rid of the scratchiness that she felt. She placed her cold hand to her cheek to try to cool herself down, but it was having little to no affect in changing her temperature. 

She bit her lip as she tried to go over the last two weeks. She was probably stressed over the influx of commissions, two of those had requested express shipping, and then there was the guardian duties, along with the three random (and difficult) akuma battles that happened to hit within a short timeframe. That was also on top of exams, bakery duties, and everything else that went along with teenage life, and it was all probably wreaking havoc on her body. But with the two exams late that afternoon, she needed to just make it through the day so she could rest and take a long-needed nap the moment she got home. 

Alya was about to speak to her about hanging out that afternoon when she noticed Marinette’s flushed face. “Hey, girl. You alright?” Alya frowned and brought the back of her hand to Marinette’s forehead. “You’re a little warm. You sick?” 

Marinette frowned. “Not really? I feel warm and a little off, but I think I'm just really stressed out. Just have a lot going on.” 

“Are you asking Adrien to help you whenever he can? You know I can come by and help you too. Same with Nino.” 

“Yeah, Adrien’s been helping me when I need help. I might just be overwhelmed.” 

“You know you can take a break, right? You don’t have to do everything yourself.” 

Marinette smiled at Alya as they slid into their seats. “I know, and I will. Promise.” 

Homeroom went without any issue for everyone besides Marinette. Marinette, on the other hand, started to take in the scent she smelled earlier. She closed her eyes and soaked in the smell, relishing in the way it tantalized her senses. It was that smell of rain hitting the dirt pathway and the scent made her feel like she was on her way towards a warm and loving home. The scent blanketed around her, and every inhale was making her drowsy with lust, yet her mind couldn’t register why. All she knew was that she needed more of it, and she needed it soon. 

Marinette started to loll her head to the side as the rest of their time in homeroom went by. Alya continued to watch her best friend as her eyes opened and closed with exhaustion, yet Alya would elbow her in the ribs every time the teacher stared in her direction. Adrien turned around every once in a while to see what was going on, and Alya could only shrug her shoulders in confusion. Once the first bell rang, Alya nudged Marinette awake and Adrien looked at his girlfriend with worry. 

“Marinette? Are you okay?” 

Startled, Marinette jolted and looked at her friends. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Um- I'm not feeling that great. I’ll be okay. Just keep me awake during Lit, okay?” 

“Are you sure? I can take you to the nurse if you’re not feeling that great.” 

Marinette took in another breath, and her expression changed into something a little happier. “Yeah. I’m fine. Hold my hand?” 

Adrien happily obliged and took Marinette’s hand as she started to get up. The group made their way out the door and into the hallway before Nino thought about food. 

“Hey, dude, are you joining us for lunch today?” 

“Depends on what my father wants. I told Nathalie that I wanted to eat breakfast at Marinette’s, but if he wanted me to join him for lunch, I would join him then. I’m just waiting to see what she says.” 

“Sounds good, my bro.” 

“Yeah, hopefully he’ll just let me stay and-” 

Suddenly, Adrien stopped in his tracks and took in the sweet scent that he had come to enjoy over the last few weeks. He closed his eyes and lifted his nose into the air as he inhaled the scent. Nino looked at him cautiously, then turned around to gaze at Marinette. Alya stalled beside her best friend as they watched Adrien continue his instinctual act before nudging her best friend forward to help calm him down. 

Adrien could feel like something drastic was happening. The scent had a definite vanilla smell to it, but it was increased to a ten? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the smell tantalized him much more than normal. Finally, when he opened his eyes, Nino was the first to notice that his eyes had glazed over, bringing in a deeper shade of green. 

“Dude, you alright?” 

Adrien cleared his throat to speak but stopped when he noticed Marinette’s demeanor. She was sweating, her hands pushing the arms of the cardigan up above her elbows, then she shook her top to allow the cool air to trek in and cool down her body. 

_Marinette?_

“Get out of the way you assholes.” Jordan sneered as he pushed his way into the classroom. In the midst of everything going on, they didn’t realize they made it in front of their first class. 

Adrien let out a nasty growl and Jordan growled back. The two alphas were looking for a fight and Nino wouldn’t dare get in the middle of two alphas in a growling match. Mr. Lovell noticed the situation and made his way into the hallway, trying his best to separate the two. 

“Jordan, go to your seat.” He managed to say when he got between the two, and Jordan let out one last growl before making his way in. He heard Adrien growl back in retaliation and decided to flip him off as he passed the doorway. Suddenly, Jordan stopped and sniffed the air as he noticed a distinct change. He turned back around and looked at Marinette, lifting one side of his mouth to showcase his fangs. 

Adrien had already turned back around to tend to his girlfriend to notice Jordan’s reaction. “Marinette, are you okay? You don’t look that great.” 

Marinette swallowed thickly and was about to answer when she felt faint. Alya tried to steady her wavering form when Marinette’s head lolled back. Her eyes fluttered shut as her legs gave out from under her. Adrien quickly caught her before she hit the floor, and Alya started to panic at what was going on. Nino held his mate back to give Adrien and Mr. Lovell room to tend to Marinette when he noticed Adrien’s sudden urge to protect. 

Mr. Lovell picked up his phone and called the nurse as Adrien laid her completely down on the cold floor. Adrien brought his nose down to Marinette’s neck and he inhaled the pheromones that were oozing out of her skin. Unconsciously, he nuzzled into her neck, rubbing his face into the area of her mating gland. 

Nino and Alya realized what he was doing and began to tell Adrien to knock it off, even going as far as pulling him off of her before he did something irreversible. As soon as Nino placed a hand to Adrien’s shoulder, Adrien growled, but Nino’s sudden retraction of his hand startled him enough to jolt him from his instincts. 

Adrien looked back down to Marinette and watched her unconscious form. He began to freak out, unsure of what was going on or what he should do next. He’s an alpha, shouldn’t he know how to take care of his mate? What was wrong with her and why couldn’t he fix it? 

By the time Adrien finished he mental anguish, Ms. Julie, the school nurse, arrived to tend to Marinette. As soon as she felt Marinette’s flushed skin and pried open her eyes to check out her eye color, she made the quick conclusion. 

“Does anyone know if she has a mate?” 

Adrien looked at her with worry. “Me. I’m her mate. Why, what’s going on?” 

The nurse looked at him with worry and looked to see if anyone can confirm his words. When Mr. Lovell vouched for Adrien, she continued. “You need to bring her home. We need to call her parents and notify them of what’s going on. You need to be careful and protect her.” 

“Why? Why did she faint?” 

Ms. Julie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Oh honey, she’ll be okay. She’s just in heat.” 

“You mean she’s a-” Adrien swallowed hard, excited yet afraid at the words. 

“Yes. She's matured to an omega.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We have finally reached the end of Arc 1! 
> 
> I did want to give you a heads up that I will be taking almost the entire month of September off for this story. I plan on just 3 weeks, but it may go as long as the entire month. 
> 
> There are two other short stories that I want to finish, along with a zine piece that I'm drawing. I also have two kiddos starting school and I'll be back to working full time in the office since I've been working from home since March.
> 
> I promise I won't be abandoning this story. I do still plan on writing while I'm on the tiny hiatus, and I already have the outline for the next 7 chapters written out.
> 
> Thank you again for reading, commenting, and the kudos for my story. Until next time!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry, it took so much longer than intended. I had major writer's block, stress over the kids starting school along with them going back into school part-time/ online part-time, plus I found out that I have to have surgery, some serious anxiety and depressive episodes, and then just plain old insomnia.
> 
> I will be posting on a bi-monthly schedule for now, but with NaNoWriMo happening, I plan on writing this throughout the month to hopefully give you a weekly posting schedule.
> 
> I hope you enjoy Arc 2!
> 
> ❤Coffee

Thousands of thoughts ran through Adrien’s head the moment the nurse uttered those fateful words that would no doubt seal his future with his mate. The images of Marinette embraced within his arms came to mind first. Her beautiful sapphire eyes gazing back into his as they proclaimed their love for one another now that she had presented herself. He imagined the infinite romantic dates all across Paris, taking the chance to hold hands, stealing inconspicuous kisses, and mumbling sweet nothings to each other. Walking across the Pont des Arts together or finding Andre’s ice cream cart to get their sweethearts ice cream. He smiled as he could envision the mint ice cream inconspicuously smeared across her cheek, with him kissing the line of sugary deliciousness with his lips until he reached hers to clean it off. 

“Adrien—”

To have the chance to bite her and claim her to be forever his during her next heat. Visions of proposing in front of the Eiffel Tower, even though he knew it was cliche. One day revealing himself as Chat Noir and allowing her the chance to see Paris in a different light. Then the wedding, the honeymoon, all the heats they would get to share between now and that moment. He could vividly dream of her gorgeous body standing before him in all her deliciously naked glory, ravishing her in the way she deserved to be ravished.

His visions turned to waking up to her, her disheveled hair splayed against the pillows while she basked in the moonlight rays on their bed. He could see her sleepy gaze as she smiled towards him, reaching her hand out to him to settle back down beside her until the morning light woke them from their slumber. 

“Dude—”

Seeing her belly swell with the pups they would one day have. Or kittens. He would love to call them his kittens. Two, maybe three of them. No; as many as she could bear. Growing up together as their home grew in size until their pups matured and met their own soulmates. Being together until the end of time—

“ADRIEN!”

Adrien shook from his thoughts to search who had called upon his name. Staring back at him were his two worried best friends, the nurse who was now holding a cold pack to Marinette’s forehead, and Mr. Lovell who had placed his hands on Adrien’s shoulders to bring him back to the present. His eyes wandered around the small group, then to the various crowds down the hall near their classrooms, watching the situation unfold. The last bell rang, relinquishing the wandering eyes back behind closed doors.

“Sorry.” He sheepishly stated, blushing at the awkward feeling that was bubbling within him. He looked back down to Marinette and ran his thumb across her cheek, feeling the heat radiating off of her.

“It’s okay. I understand that this is all overwhelming,” Ms. Julie responded sweetly and Adrien looked back up to her, “but Adrien, this is extremely important. You need to protect her. You need to keep her safe until you can get her home.”

Adrien swallowed and nodded his head, looking back down to Marinette’s lithe form. He sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts when a nasty growl interrupted him.

“If you won’t take care of her, then let a real alpha handle it.”

“Fuck off, Jordan.” Alya sputtered out, a venomous tone laced within the words. “Adrien is Marinette’s mate. Not you.”

“Some kind of mate he is.” Jordan spat out. He walked up to the group and eyed Marinette with an insatiable glare, then turned to Adrien and bared his fang with a sneer of his lips. “Look at him. He’s just sitting there staring out into space. A real alpha would have brought her home already.”

“Jordan…” Mr. Lovell began, chiding the malicious words with distaste. “Into the classroom. I won’t ask you again.”

Jordan narrowed his eyes at Adrien, hearing yet ignoring his teacher’s words. “Move. I’ll take her.”

Adrien’s body responded to his words, increasing the need to protect Marinette in every way. Letting go of her hand, he stood up and faced the other alpha, going nose to nose to intimidate him. Goosebumps riddled his skin while the hair on the nape of his neck stood up tall, and a low, threatening growl erupted in his chest in warning.

Jordan snarled back and shot him a menacing smirk, before winking and eyeing the new omega that was now wrapped within Alya’s protective arms. Nino noticed his demeanor and stood in front of the two girls, shielding them from the fight that would no doubt happen between the combative alphas.

“You leave her alone.” Adrien snarled back, his expression dark as his eyes transformed to match.

“Ooh, I’m scared.” Jordan bit back. He took one step to the side to walk up to the omega, but Adrien used his body to keep him back. “Don’t touch me.”

“Don’t you dare touch her.” Adrien growled back.

“Boys.” Mr. Lovell interrupted, trying to get his students back in order. “Jordan, step away from them and get back to class. I will send you to Principal Caldwell if you don’t.”

Jordan took one look at the teacher in contemplation before staring back at Adrien. “Whatever. A bitch like that deserves a bitch of an alpha like you.”

Adrien clenched his fist and launched it towards Jordan’s face, hitting him square in the jaw with a fierce blow. Jordan stumbled back before regaining his footing, stunned that the model would attempt to strike after the stunt he pulled on his first day back after his rut. 

Jordan curled his fingers tightly within his fist before launching himself at the model with a blow of his own, but years of training with hand to hand combat helped Adrien with his timed reflex, dodging the blow before it crossed his path. Adrien gained the open opportunity to throw his fist up into an uppercut, hitting Jordan in the perfect spot on the chin, causing a chattering of teeth to reverberate throughout the hallway. 

Jordan’s vision blurred as the impact caused him to stall, waiting a moment until his vision cleared before looking back at Adrien. Mr. Lovell stood in front of the model with his hands up in a placating manner, and Jordan could only growl as his battle with the alpha was over. 

“I asked you to stop.” Mr. Lovell growled out, eying both boys in warning before it escalated any further.

Jordan could feel his lip swell, accompanied by searing pain. He ran the back of his hand across his mouth to wipe the drool that dripped from his lips and noticed that blood had tinged the spit. Jordan hissed, pushing the teacher aside before lunging himself at Adrien and throwing the blond boy onto the ground in a tussle of limbs. 

Books and paper scattered across the floor, one almost hitting Marinette in the face as their fight inched closer and closer to the small group. Without hesitating or worrying about his fate, Nino picked up Marinette and brought her into a nearby vacant classroom, shielding her from any other alphas who would try to follow the growing scent of her pheromones. 

Alya stood back and watched as the boys continued to fight, slowly stepping back to stand guard in front of the classroom Marinette had been placed in. Her eyes brimmed with tears and fear radiated off her body while Ms. Julie stood beside her, no doubt feeling the same while her hand hovered over her mouth as she watched the scene unfold. 

The noise, the growls, the tosses against the lockers, the bodies slamming against the tile floor, Mr. Lovell trying his best to suspend the situation - it was all loud enough that teachers and students in the surrounding classrooms opened their doors in curiosity, only to watch the unruly scene once they realized the situation. The teachers tried to usher their students back in, but it was all for naught as their growls turned into hearty roars. 

Mr. Lovell stepped away from the fight when he realized he could not handle this alone. He continued to watch as he called the guard, then phoned the principal for him to help assess the situation after the fact. He would break the two apart and deal with the aftermath once the guard finally arrived.

Adrien couldn’t contain the intense need to protect from simmering down. He could see Jordan’s eyes continually darken with rage each second the fight proceeded on. The instinctual need to guard his mate against the threats and selfish needs this alpha had no desire in hiding, fueled this intense feeling of continuing the fight. No matter how many times Adrien threw or hit Jordan in warning to stop his futile actions, Jordan refused to back down; and any time Adrien felt Jordan’s fist coming towards him before he could see the action, he would try his best to avoid, but any direct hits to his body were ignored through his rage as bone connected to skin.

Adrien fought back as best he could, never allowing the other alpha to gain the upper hand. This was his mate. He would do anything to protect her. To ensure she was safe from harm. He threw the alpha onto the ground, slamming an elbow into his chin twice in a final attempt to break the fight. Adrien hovered over Jordan, clutching the fabric of his shirt as he planted his weight on his torso with his body to hold him down. Both boys were panting, their bodies covered with bruises and torn clothes, the rage in Adrien’s eyes still evident as Jordan’s bitter grin crested his lips. He could hear the faint conversations between Mr. Lovell, Principal Caldwell, and the school guard, but the increasing scent that spilled into the hallway broke his demeanor. Growling, Adrien shoved himself off of the other alpha, ensuring that Jordan understood that his mate was not his to be touched. 

Jordan remained on the ground, his chest rising and falling in harsh gasps, knowing that his time to play was now over. The feeling of regret and anger towards himself came into the forefront of his mind when he noticed the three adults watching them with crossed arms, along with the week-long suspension that would surely come from this act of hostility.

Adrien eyed the adults and let out a perceptive sigh before looking over to Alya and Ms. Julie. His eyes landed on Nino’s movements as he walked out of the classroom that held his unconscious mate. A moment of silent understanding passed between him and Nino, with a silent thanks to the beta for watching over his omega. Adrien was about to run to her, not caring at that moment what his punishment would be when a voice and body obstructed his plan.

“Mr. Agreste.” Principal Caldwell stood in front of him as he called him out, his voice firm but infused with empathy. “You understand the consequences after our last conversation, correct?”

“About the suspension if I were to attack another alpha?” The principal nodded once, and Adrien sighed dejectedly. “I understand—”

Strangled mewls could be heard from the classroom, and Adrien whipped his head around with fear expressed in his features. Alya was missing and Nino remained at guard in front of the classroom door.

“Adrien.” This time, it was Ms. Julie who spoke. “You need to bring her home. And I mean now before you do this,” she gestured to the mess on the floor, “while you are on your way there. We can have this discussion another day.”

Adrien didn’t even nod. Instantly, he made his way around the principal and raced towards the room, passing Nino who stepped aside to allow him through. Inside the classroom, Adrien noticed Alya kneeling beside Marinette’s distressed form, her fingers running over the back of her hand to calm her. Marinette was sweating, her body flushed pink as she squirmed on the floor, looking to seek a cool comfort as she pressed her cheek against the cold tile floor.

Adrien made his way to stand opposite of Alya, looking at Marinette worriedly. 

“Marinette?” He called out calmly, trying to see if she would respond to his voice. She continued to squirm, but her eyes opened slightly, and Adrien could see that the normally sapphire blue pupils had lightened to resemble the clear blue sky on a bright summer's day. 

“A-Adrien?” Marinette whispered out, her throat dry and raspy. She inhaled a quick breath before realizing a change in scent, and her almost sickly demeanor changed into something slightly desirable. “My alpha.” Her voice changed, and Adrien could already sense the instinctual change within his own body.

Marinette reached up and cupped his jaw, her slightly elongated claws gliding along his skin until she pressed the pads of her thumbs against his cheekbone. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into her palm, a sense of want threatening to spill. She wrapped the hand not touching his cheek around his neck, using his body as leverage to sit up. The increase of her scent as she made her way closer to him punched him deep within his chest, his resolve slowly failing. He couldn’t help himself as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling the strawberry scent of her shampoo, but the smell of vanilla was strong enough to tantalize his senses and his nose followed the trail until he reached the spot where the scent was the strongest.

Marinette sighed as she curved her neck back, allowing him to indulge in the smell of his desire. He responded in kind, running his nose alongside her neck until his tongue darted out to taste the delicious skin. Marinette shivered under his touch, moaning out as he placed tender kisses along the heated skin.

“Adrien.” Alya calmly stated to gain the alpha’s attention. He never removed his lips from her neck, but his verdant gaze peered at the brunette with a half-lidded gaze. “Sunshine. You need to get her home. Please.”

Adrien sighed as he pressed his lips once more against her neck, before pulling back and running his thumb against her cheek. “Mari? My omega?” Marinette hummed out to the call of her name before whimpering out at the loss of contact against her skin. “We need to get you home.”

“Can’t- can’t you take me here?” Marinette tried to plead, and Adrien wanted to give in to her request, but his rational mind took over. 

“I think you would be more comfortable in your nest.”

Marinette’s light blue haze looked into his, and she sleepily hummed in agreement that it was for the best. She let out a small giggle, and she lifted her palms to his face. “No wonder why I was rearranging my room this morning. Come to my nest with me, my alpha.” 

Adrien’s heart skipped a beat. “Anything for you.”

“But why is it so hot?” Marinette whined out, pulling off her cardigan before clawing at her shirt.

Alya reached out and grabbed her hand, pausing her from any attempt to strip in the middle of the room. Adrien growled before hearing a voice coming from the doorway.

“Dude. You got to go. Now.”

Adrien stopped his growl and shook his head, clearing the fog that had overtaken his thoughts from Alya touching his mate. 

“Alyaaaaa…” Marinette cried out before looking at Adrien. “Alpha. She won’t let me take off my clothes.”

A pang of guilt rushed through him as he had to deny his mate a chance of reprieve. “Mari. We need to go. I’m going to pick you up and bring you home, okay?” Adrien lifted her in his arms, and she squeaked at the sudden movement, hastily wrapping her arms around his neck to avoid falling from his grasp. Her nose accidentally brushed up against his scent gland and she unconsciously lunged in to kiss his neck until she sought and found his mating gland. She kissed the spot before grazing her fangs against it, licking the gland until she heard a moan spill from his lips. His knees shook before they gave out with a slight buckle, and both Nino and Mr. Lovell rushed in to hold them both up before he fell onto the floor.

Adrien silently thanked the two with a nod and tried to speak, his words dying in his throat as she continued to tease him with her tongue.

“Marinette! Stop that.” Alya chided her, and Marinette looked up at Adrien with tear-filled eyes. “That’s not what you want right now.”

“I don’t?” She questioned with a shaky voice, and Adrien sadly nodded. Marinette looked down at his chest before leaning her head against him. “I- I don’t feel so well.”

Ms. Julie rushed in and looked at the new omega, pressing her hand against her forehead once again. Marinette’s head lolled down, and Adrien panicked at his girlfriend’s unconscious form.

“She fainted again. Sometimes the excess heat that builds within an omega’s body can make them feel like this. Once you get her home though, you will need to get her in her nest. That will be one of the biggest things to help her during this.”

Adrien swallowed and nodded. “Okay. I- I need to get her home.” He tried his best to grab her school bag, but Alya placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“I’ll bring it later. Go.”

He nodded and made his way out the door, careful not to hurt Marinette’s unconscious form. The sizeable crowd that had watched the altercation had mostly dissipated, but as he made his way down the stairs, he noticed a few alphas lingering in the dark corners, peering out in curiosity of the newest member of the omega community.

As soon as he made it to the bottom step, he sprinted through the courtyard until he reached the double doors, then fixed her against his chest once more before he made the final descent on the outdoor steps. He took in a deep inhale of air as he took in his surroundings, then bolted his way down the street towards her home. He could feel her slight movements as she came to, and every so often he would look down to ensure she was okay and not at all uncomfortable in his hold.

Ten minutes into his run, he noticed a small crowd of Parisians passing through, some of them stalling in their steps as the sweet scent whisked towards them because of the slight breeze. He could sense the growls from some alphas in the group, but also heard the coos coming from some females when they noticed his protective state. 

Adrien ran through the park near her home as Marinette whimpered out, her scent coating the air in a thick fog around them. He could see the bakery in his line of sight, breathing a sigh of relief as his journey was close to completion. Soon he could tend to her needs in the safety of her home, protecting her and caring for her in the way she deserves. 

Pausing at the busy intersection to wait for the signal to allow them to cross, he looked down at her and noticed her sky blue gaze peering up at his, her fingers touching his soft skin in a dream-like state.

“Almost there, my love. Just a few more steps.”

“M-kay.” She whispered, closing her eyes once again to rest against his chest. 

He pressed his lips to her forehead with a lingering kiss as he monitored the path ahead of them, ensuring that there were no other crowds that could prove to be an issue. But what he didn’t notice were three alphas following their trail, waiting until they arrived at her eventual destination to make their move.


	19. Chapter 19

Tom stood at the prepping table in the bakery kitchen, idly pounding on the rising dough for the next batch of croissants. From his position he could see the busy street, eyeing the direction where his daughter would normally come from when she walked home from school. He chewed the inside of his cheek, watching, hoping, and praying that Adrien would get her home in time before anything else could happen. He looked at the clock on the wall and noticed the time, mentally calculating how much longer until she would be expected to arrive home. He huffed out an anxious breath, taking a second to look back down to the now pliable and warm dough in his hands before tossing it into the waiting dish, quickly gathering another scoop of cold dough to start the steps once again.

“Where are they?” He muttered out, staring back out towards the street in hopes to see the mop of blonde hair carrying her motionless form like the principal had disclosed over the phone. He secretly hoped that she had woken up during their brief journey, allowing the two teens to run towards the bakery as if they were running for their lives. He wasn’t sure what would be more pleasing to see at this moment, but at least seeing her running would make it clear to him she was okay enough to be on her own two feet instead of being unconsciously carried around.

“I’m not sure, dear. Adrien won’t pick up his phone.” Sabine interrupted his thoughts, causing Tom to blink twice before returning to the dough. She walked through the kitchen with a large duffle bag in her hand, placing it down by the register before she turned and looked at him. 

Tom eyed her curiously. “Did you try Marinette’s phone? What about Alya’s? Nino’s? The school again?” 

“As Principal Caldwell had stated on the phone, Adrien left with Marinette in his arms about ten minutes ago. When I spoke with Alya, she said she had Marinette’s phone after I tried calling it one too many times. She had left her phone in her bag and at that point, Alya couldn’t ignore the constant ringing. She will bring it by later when she gets out of school. Nino is with Alya, but he hasn’t heard a peep from Adrien since he left. I guarantee that Adrien is still holding Marinette and that’s why he can’t reach his phone.”

“Well, how about Gabriel? He must have heard from Adrien already.”

“I spoke with Nathalie. The school called her and notified her of what had happened. She was entering their car when I called them up.”

Tom looked at his incredibly composed wife with complete pride. While he was running himself ragged over Marinette and Adrien’s trek home, his wife had gone up to Marinette’s room and gathered all the supplies she would need for the next week. He had been watching the bakery for the time being, while working out the tough dough that needed to be ready for the afternoon rush.

Tom sighed once more as he turned his eyes towards the street. He picked up the almost ready dough and slammed it down onto the tabletop, trying his best to beat out his anxiousness through the cold dough. Sabine watched her kind-hearted husband worry his brow, then placed her hand onto his forearm in a calming gesture.

“Tom, you know that Adrien is capable of taking care of her. You’ve seen the way he looks at her, the way he communicates with her, and how much he loves her. You know he’s protected her before when he got into that fight with Jordan the first day he walked into school after his rut. And you heard what Principal Caldwell said when he called us.”

Tom looked at his wife with a sad smile, knowing that what she was saying was all true. Adrien wouldn’t allow a hair to be harmed on Marinette’s head, and while he highly disliked violence, he understood that Adrien only fought Jordan because of how possessive Jordan had become, even going as far as stepping into Marinette’s extremely vulnerable space. Jordan crossed that obvious line by trying to take Adrien’s soulmate, and of course, Adrien couldn’t control his actions completely when the threat was there. He would have no doubt done the same thing if he were in Adrien’s position and Sabine’s life was at stake.

“I just wish they kept her at school until I got there. I would have made sure she got home okay. I would have taken Adrien home with us to keep her safe. I  _ hate _ that they let her go before they called us. Why couldn’t they have called us.” Tom’s voice trembled as he fought the nervous feeling building in his chest.

“We have to trust that it was in their best decision to decide this while everything was happening. They have said they have dealt with these situations before and they wouldn’t have put her in more danger if the situation called for it.”

Tom nodded and let out another anxious breath. “Hopefully.” He plopped the dough back down onto the table, much more softly than he had earlier. “I may be a beta, but I will not hold back  _ If  _ something happens, and I hope to God nothing does, but trust in me that the school will get an earful from me and it won’t be pretty. No, it definitely wo-”

The jingle of the bakery entrance rang through the otherwise quiet bakery, and Tom instantly stopped talking to see who had come in. Adrien rushed into the bakery, heavily panting as he held Marinette close to his chest. It looked as though she was conscious again, running her clawed fingers through his disheveled hair, before running her fingers down his slightly bruised face and feeling his smooth skin. 

Adrien wasn’t faring much better. Tom could see that he wanted to give in to her touch, but his protective aura had held him back until she was in the safety of her nest. There was a tight crease between his brows as he pursed his swollen and bruised lips, trying to keep his composure and focus on his breathing. There was a swollen black and blue mark underneath his right eye, his white overshirt had been torn at the sleeve, while his blue shirt had been torn right at the neck. It looked like there were some claw marks decorating his arms and cheek, but he could see that they weren’t bleeding or needing immediate care.

Even with how disheveled Adrien looked, Tom breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that the two had arrived safely home. Sabine quickly made her way past her husband and to the front of the bakery, her motherly instincts propelling her towards the two teens in hopes to calm down the alpha and tend to the new omega. Tom smiled as he watched his wife take charge of the situation, but suddenly became alarmed when he noticed a few customers making their way towards the bakery doors. He brushed the flour from his hands against his off-white apron as he made his way towards his family, ready to rush his wife and daughter back into the kitchen to give them some privacy and avoid any confrontation. He pressed on a welcoming smile as he stepped forward, but when he noticed the sinister snarl from the tallest of the three customers, his smile promptly dropped into a panicked purse of his lips, quickly catching Adrien’s attention.

As soon as the door jingled open, Adrien turned around to face the intruders, quickly placing himself in front of Sabine to ensure her own safety while also pressing Marinette’s face closer to his neck for security. 

“Can I help you?” Tom questioned with an aggravated tone, trying to understand the intentions of the intruders while attempting to scare them off with his sheer size. 

“Thought I smelled something sweet.” The tall one stated rather quickly. “Thought we would come in and scope out the desserts.”

Adrien tightened his hold on Marinette as he could hear the underlying tone in his words. The scent in the enclosed space shifted as the three alphas gave off their own revolting pheromones, hoping that the omega would lean towards them instead of the alpha holding her. Marinette’s pheromones increased as she could sense the changes in the air, but her scent gave off an odd scent, one that meant she was feeling fear over what was happening but couldn’t see due to Adrien’s protective hold.

Marinette tightened her arms around his neck, and Adrien looked down to notice the splotches of dark hues popping through her sky blue gaze. He feared the sudden change, remembering from conversations and classes that omegas needed to be in their nest before things spiraled out of control. The splotches confirmed that Marinette needed her nest and comfort to make her feel safe, and Adrien pressing her nose into his neck probably caused more damage than protection with her half-lidded gaze shifting back to desire. 

It was definitely not the smartest thought as she began to lick his gland in response to his actions, and while he wanted to stop and help her in her moment of need, her safety was more important to him than trudging forward in his lewd thoughts. 

Looking up and seeing the intruders brought in another wave of protection in him, prompting Adrien to growl out and bare his fangs in warning to the three alphas who entered their space and put fear into his mate while she was vulnerable and in a state of distress. Marinette stopped her ministrations and whimpered at the altercation, watching Adrien gather himself into a combative stance as he tried to scare him off.

“Get away from us.” Adrien snarled out, trying to evoke fear as he held her close.

“Why?” The smallest of the three alphas questioned. “Seems that there is an omega here that needs an alpha to tend to her.”

Tom walked up and placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, guiding the two mates to stand behind him as he took over the situation.

“She doesn’t need an alpha to tend to her,” Tom stated mockingly, “but what I need for you all to do is get the hell out of my bakery.”

The tall one spoke as the unspoken one laughed bitterly. “Sure. Whatever you say. But I bet you would rather have a stronger alpha take care of her than this,” he eyed Adrien up and down with a distasteful expression, “model boy who probably couldn’t lift a finger.”

Adrien let out another rather loud growl as a warning to the alphas to leave them be. When they refused to leave, Adrien turned towards the back of the bakery, laying Marinette down on the floor near the large duffel bag that was sitting beside the counter. Marinette whimpered at the loss of heat and protection from her mate, stretching out her arms as she tried to reach out for his touch. Adrien frowned at the thought of denying his mate comfort, but he needed to protect her from the alphas in any way he could. He placed a lingering kiss to her forehead in an attempt to help, then turned back towards the two betas who were trying to talk the alphas into leaving their bakery before they called the police.

“Get out.” Adrien growled out again, cutting into Sabine’s sentence. He positioned himself in an intimidating stance in front of Marinette’s parents, protecting them from any harm that could happen. He hunched over, stretching out his arms from his sides and opening up his palms to showcase his claws. His feet were shoulder-width apart while his knees were bent, ready to strike if needed while waiting for the alphas to make their next move. He bared his teeth and lowered his eyelashes, proving them that he is worth their salt.

As if the words were a joke, the tall alpha stepped forward, entering Adrien’s space before looking back to his counterparts and nodding his head as if he was implementing a predetermined plan. The quiet one stalked towards Tom while the small one stalked towards Sabine. The tall one-eyed the counter behind Adrien to see how quickly he could get to the omega, but Adrien stepped to the side blocking the alpha's line of sight.

“I won’t ask you again. Stay away from her.”

He laughed bitterly before licking his fang. “And what if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll beat your ass until you can’t move.”

The alpha lunged at Adrien first, grabbing onto his torn shirt and throwing him down onto the floor. Adrien grabbed onto the alpha’s shirt to gain a dominative stance, but the earlier altercation floundered his will to fight as aggressively as he had done previously.

“Adrien!” Tom called out, noticing the trembling in Adrien’s arms as he tried to regain some strength.

The unspoken alpha sneered at Tom’s distracted stance, lunging forward and grabbing his shirt to haul the large man down. Tom quickly grabbed onto the alpha as he fell, throwing the man to the side with some force until he hit the table and chair, knocking him out cold. 

Tom scrambled to get up and looked towards Sabine, quietly laughing when he noticed she had grabbed the broomstick she had used earlier before their phone call. She was using her heavily practiced Wushu skills to take the small alpha down, repeatedly bashing the poor boy over the head and back until he faltered onto the ground. He then turned to see how Adrien was faring, seeing that the blond had finally stood up and was once again in his protective stance after throwing the tall alpha to the side. 

“Tom!” Sabine cried out, and Tom growled when he peered back at his wife, only to notice she was on the ground with her hand over her face and the broomstick tossed to the side. 

Tom grabbed two hearty baguettes from the barrel beside him and grasped them tightly in his fists. He trudged towards the small alpha in an attempt to ambush him from behind, lifting one of the baguettes up above his head to gain speed. He whipped the bread down until it hit the alpha in the side of the head, effectively knocking the alpha onto the ground. He threw the broken bread to the side before helping Sabine up to her feet, then grabbed her broomstick and handed it to her before deciding where he was needed next. 

Adrien let out a large growl in anger as a fist landed on his cheek; the alpha laughing at his gain in the chance to claim the omega before Adrien could. The blonde lunged forward, grabbing onto the alpha’s shirt before aiming a fist into his jaw, hitting him square in the chin and hearing a loud crack echo in the space. The alpha faltered for a moment before he found his footing, rubbing his chin and spitting out a tooth before attempting another attack on the model.

“You’ll pay for that.” The alpha growled, lunging back at Adrien and grabbing onto his jaw with a tight grip. Adrien pushed him back while simultaneously grabbing his shirt, using the momentum to bring the alpha towards him and sucker punching him in the gut, but was then tackled by the quiet alpha to the ground. The tall alpha regained his breath and jumped in to handle Adrien along with the quiet alpha, and Adrien growled out as he tried to regain his strength to take on the two. He tried to push the two off as best as he could, mentally thanking Tom for coming in and trying to pull the alphas off of him with some struggle.

Sabine was watching the small alpha with a sneer when she heard the scuffle on the ground, eyeing the altercation while simultaneously deciding what she should do. She could hear whimpers coming from behind the counter, but the small alpha growled before lunging at Sabine, quickly dispelling her instinct to protect her daughter, and instead turning to the boy to try and fend him off.

Tom finally grabbed onto one of the alpha’s and tossed him off, before going back to help pull the second alpha off of Adrien. Adrien scuffled with the sole alpha as Tom tried to pull him off, but the first alpha plowed into Tom, effectively knocking him down onto the ground once again. 

Tom scrambled to get back up as he heard the faint sounds of ringing. He attempted to search for the sound while keeping the alpha at an arm’s length away, but as he tried, a loud, ear-piercing growl echoed throughout the bakery, causing a tremor to rattle the windows as the six scrappers stopped in their positions and held their hands to their ears.

In the doorway stood Gabriel, his eyes darkened with rage as he took in the status of the bakery before him. He was panting heavily, the loud and long growl causing him to lose his breath. Simon walked up to Adrien and pulled the alpha off of him, throwing him towards the door using his brute strength. The action caused him to collide with the small alpha in the process, knocking them both onto the ground in a pile of limbs. Tom took the opportunity to kick the tall alpha off of him, forcing the alpha to fall back and land in the pile of his counterparts.

Nathalie stood by and had the phone against her ear, calmly speaking to someone on the other end as she stood guard by the door. Tom rushed over to Sabine as she made her way to a stand, his eyes roaming over her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. He brushed his hands down her arms and grasped onto her hands, clasping them tightly as he held his breath. “Are you okay, honey? Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay. Just extremely thankful for Gabriel arriving when he did.” Sabine looked around the room before turning back to Tom’s embrace with a worried expression. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a couple of bumps, but I’m okay.” 

Both Tom and Sabine turned to see Gabriel’s aggressive position. While he may be a reserved man with extremely little emotion, the fierce growl and intense stare ensured that no one would be able to mess with his pack. When Gabriel felt the situation was handled for the moment, he slowly retreated back to his composed state, crossing his hands behind his back and staring towards the intruders with an intimidating glare.

Sabine blinked as she turned to Nathalie and Simon, the latter helping Adrien stand up. The battered blonde had a fierce determination etched in his features, his eyes narrowed as he continued to glare at the three alphas who were in a befuddled state on the floor. He wiped at his bruised lip with the back of his hand, ensuring that the fist he had just eaten didn’t damage the muscle. He winced as the touch elicited a pulsating pain, but then growled when he noticed the light blood trail staining his skin.

“Son?” Tom carefully called out while remaining in his spot beside Sabine. He knew that he shouldn’t step into an alpha’s space when he was charged in anger, and he could tell Adrien was still festering with indignation.

Adrien peered over to Tom and watched him intently, before turning back to the pile of alphas on the ground. He growed once again, his body hunched over slightly as he bared his fangs, the claws sharp on his hands as he continued to feel the rolling wrath coursing through his veins. Gabriel walked behind him and placed a careful hand on his shoulder, calming the alpha down by indicating the situation was taken care of.

“It’s alright, Adrien.” Gabriel softly stated. “It’s all taken care of for now.”

Adrien nodded but then his eyes widened, the whimpers of his mate cutting through the fog in his brain. Sabine also heard the sad sounds coming from behind the counter, leaving the comfort of Tom’s arms as she and Adrien rushed over to assess Marinette’s current condition.

“Marinette?” Adrien cried out, falling to his knees once he reached her and wrapping his arms around her trembling body to let her know he was there. She was unconscious again, her clothes tattered as she tried to claw them off her flushed skin; the attempt completely abandoned as the heat enveloped her body once again. 

Knowing that Adrien was comforting Marinette, Sabine picked up the duffel bag and cleaned up the mess around her daughter. Things like her toothbrush, hairbrush, medication, lotion, sketchbook had been littered across the floor in her half-hazard attempt to retrieve the soft fabrics from the base of the bag. The clothes and blankets that had been packed were placed beneath the omega, and Marinette had tried so hard to create a tiny makeshift nest for her to lay comfortably in. The scene broke both their hearts.

“This- this shouldn’t be happening.” He stifled a sob, trying to calm his clamoring heart as he brushed the bangs away from her sweaty brow. “I’m not doing this right. I’m not- She should be comfortable instead of dealing with her first heat like this! With these…  _ asshole _ s trying to claim her.”

Gabriel could hear his son’s frantic panic and Sabine’s quiet reassurance that it was all okay. An alphas main purpose is to protect their mate, and while he had accomplished that in the best way he could given the obstacles set before him, Gabriel understood that an omega needed to be in a safe place to handle her heat properly and Adrien not providing that was a punch to his instincts. 

“Sir, the police should be here shortly.” Nathalie broke the worrying silence that had enveloped the air. Gabriel turned to her and gave her a slight nod in thanks before walking towards the quiet group on the ground. They knew better than to threaten a fierce alpha.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves. Fighting in a prestigious bakery over an omega who clearly has a mate.” Gabriel sneered before leaning over into their space. “I’ll ensure that you will never see the light of day for assault on not only my son, but to these selfless and hardworking betas who have done you no harm until their pack was threatened. And don’t get me started on your  _ disgusting _ intentions towards my future daughter-in-law.” He spat out, noticing a wince from the smallest alpha. “Because I assure you, this will not be taken lightly."

Without removing his gaze from the three alphas, Gabriel's voice turned to one of concern as he directed his words towards Sabine, Tom, and most importantly, Adrien to see how Marinette was faring with the stress of the situation.

“Adrien?” Gabriel asked sincerely. “How is she doing?”

Adrien continued to hold Marinette in his lap as he ran his knuckles against her cheek in quiet reassurance. He stilled for a moment when his father spoke to indicate he was listening and let out a small sigh as he thought over his words. 

“She- she's disheveled, but she’s okay? I guess. Honestly, I’m not sure since she’s unconscious again.” He let out another sigh as he moved his fingers to her hair, moving the sweaty strands from her face. “What I don't know is how much longer she'll be able to handle her heat without being in her nest.”

Sabine placed the duffel bag to the side after placing all of Marinette’s non-fabric items back inside. She slowly opened one eyelid to see the state of her heat, and sighed in relief when she realized her eye color slightly changed back to the sky blue color. Adrien smiled at Sabine for her careful inspection, before turning towards his father with both confusion and relief etched on his face.

“Father?” Gabriel hummed in response. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but… what are you doing here?”

Gabriel smiled. “I came along with Nathalie and Simon to pick you and Marinette up. The school had called to inform me what had happened between you and Jordan - and we will talk about that altercation later - but when they indicated you were the one bringing her home, and on foot, no less, I came along to ensure you both were okay and to bring the two of you back to the mansion.”

Adrien furrowed his brow. “She's not staying here? She’s coming back home with us?”

“Of course. Our home is better suited for an omega in heat than what Tom and Sabine could provide, especially given the busy storefront that brings in plenty of  _ shameful _ alphas.” He sneered as he stared at the alphas once again. “Both parties have already agreed weeks ago that I will be in charge of her care and safety while she is with our pack. And you will reside with her in the heat room during her time there. 

“I did speak to Principal Caldwell while on our way here. Even though you were protecting Marinette from an alleged claiming, as what your friends and teachers had been indicating in their reports to the higher educators, your suspension still stands—”

“But Father—” Adrien tried to interject, only for Gabriel to lift his hand in a placating maner to indicate that the boy would not be able to continue his disruption.

“—but it will most likely be dispelled from your records due to the situation. For the time being, your suspension will be lasting a week, but that does not matter since you will be spending the week with Marinette in the heat room.”

Adrien stared at Marinette as he frowned, wishing that Marinette would wake up.

“I understand that this is new, frustrating, and scary, but trust in us that it will be best for her to stay with us for the week versus staying here. As you can see, her pheromones are highly potent in this early stage of her heat. There is no way that she would be able to be here and remain safe.”

Adrien looked back up at the adults in the room, all watching him intently as he cared for Marinette. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before slowly laying her back down into her nest for a moment. He stood up and glared at the alphas, before looking back down at Marinette’s sleeping form. He let out a silent sigh as he walked towards his father, silently acknowledging that everything his father was stating was right. He looked at Tom and Sabine and noticed the consoling smiles that reached their eyes, feeling the comforting aura radiating off their forms. 

Gabriel furrowed his brow as a thought crossed his mind. “Adrien? Did you and Marinette not discuss the implications of her heat? Did you not know she would be staying with us?”

Adrien tilted his head. “Yeah- Yes. We spoke about it in detail. I guess it slipped my mind when I went into full-on panic mode.”

“It's alright, son.” Tom answered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I trust you will be taking care of her and helping her in whatever way you both discussed. And I trust that you won't do anything that you guys haven't talked about, correct?” He added with a menacing wink. 

Adrien blushed knowing full well the implications behind those words. But instead of giving in to his tease, he chose to go and speak in a different light. “Don't worry, sir. Marinette and I agreed that we won't bond while she's in heat. She wanted to figure this out on her own as long as I'm beside her helping her through it. But our mating bites would happen until her next heat.”

Tom let out a hearty laugh. Given the circumstances of what had transpired only a few minutes before, he looked at Adrien and engulfed him with a hug before letting him go, leaving his hands on his shoulders.

“I'm just teasing you. And what have I told you about calling me sir? I'm Tom to you,” he poked Adrien’s chest in good faith, “so don't worry about that and I only wanted to remind you that I trust you wholeheartedly. I know that you and Marinette are made for each other. Whatever has been decided is between you and her. I just want you guys to be safe and protected while she’s vulnerable. But I also want to be sure that you love her to the best of your abilities and not use her vulnerability against her.”

Adrien patted Tom’s hand and took comfort in what he was saying about his relationship with his daughter. 

“Don't worry, sir- Tom. I'll do my best for her; I would do anything for her. I love her so much more than I ever thought possible.” 

“I know.” Tom smiled back and ruffled his hair before turning back to his wife who had taken Adrien’s place beside Marinette. 

A groan echoed in the air and Adrien frowned as he followed the sound to Marinette. Tom and Sabine both stepped away and allowed Adrien through, and he became concerned once again once he noticed Marinette writhing in her sleep. Soft whimpers left her lips as she moved her hands around her body, using her claws to gently tear the clothes off her body once again. 

Sabine furrowed her brow as she looked at Adrien and then at Gabriel, deciding it was best to take care of the situation before her daughter cried out in frustration. 

“Adrien. Gabriel. I believe it's time for you to go. She needs to build her nest before things become much more complicated. One wasn’t created this morning before school, but she had definitely moved things around in order to prepare for one. But since she started her heat at school and not at home, she needs to get to a safe place where she can build one. She’s going to become more and more frantic until she can.”

Gabriel looked at the betas and agreed. “Simon. Bring Adrien and Marinette home. Nathalie. Please escort them and help Adrien set the room up. I will stay here to speak to the police to discuss the situation and give my statement. Simon, once you have delivered them safely, and they are both locked in the heat room, come back here to retrieve me. The police can come and speak with Adrien sometime this evening or tomorrow once things have settled down. Marinette is of the utmost importance right now. Everything else can wait.”

As Gabriel took care of watching over the alphas, Tom began clearing a path to the entrance for Adrien and Marinette to leave. The young alpha lifted Marinette up and held her close to his chest, feeling a wave of relief when her eyes fluttered open. He smiled when her gaze reached his, her own smile curling on her lips when she noticed who had wrapped their arms around her.

“Adrien.” She quietly sang out, reaching up to touch his cheek.

“Hi, princess.” Adrien slipped up, hoping that Marinette didn’t recognize the pet name “Time to go build your nest.” He continued.

“Finally.” Marinette stated with relief and Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle at her. She reached up slightly until her face was closer to his, her eyes darkening with desire as she bit her lip. “Good. Because I can’t wait to play with you tonight. This girl is hungry, and I need my alpha to breed me until I’m full.”

Adrien turned red at her words as his knees buckled, but he straightened himself up to keep himself from falling completely. The steady, increasing sounds of sirens could be heard some distance away and Adrien sighed for not only the relief, but the quick distraction. He didn’t want to cave in to her touch too soon.

He said his goodbyes to his father and Tom as he walked through the bakery. Sabine gathered the clothes and blankets from the nest once Adrien had lifted Marinette up, and she placed them back into the duffle bag before following the two mates to the door. As soon as Simon walked back into the bakery after readying the car, he retrieved the bag from Sabine’s hand and shot her a understanding smile before following Adrien and Marinette out the door. Nathalie stood at the entrance and waited for the three to pass through, shooting Marinette’s parents a comforting smile that ensured Marinette would be in safekeeping before vanishing out the door.

The car door was already open by the time Adrien arrived and he slowly entered the car to carefully place her in her seat. He settled next to her before grabbing the strap of the seatbelt, looping it around her waist before fastening it into its buckle.

“You’re so sweet.” Marinette purred out, placing her hand on his thigh once he settled down and buckled up.

Adrien smiled and placed his hand on hers, squeezing her hand before sliding it down towards his knee to keep her from wanting to play. He was unsure if this would upset Marinette, but he didn’t want to take it too far while Nathalie and Simon were in the car.

They sat in silence for a moment, his gaze on her form as she settled her face against the cool window. She was quiet and content, no doubt trying to adjust to the fluctuating hormones that were stewing within her. If her body was raging, he was none the wiser, because she was handling it quite well right now.

Adrien turned away from Marinette to stare out the window as his mind wandered to her earlier words. The constant replay caused his cock to twitch uncomfortably in the confines of his jeans, and he willed his brain to stop the visions for now. He wanted to fuck her senseless, allow those dreams to come to fruition, kiss her and play with her and breed her just like she asked. But as hard as he tried to stop the visions of her blue gaze and soft lips upon his flushed skin, new additional visions came to view. He remembered her throaty purr and playful hand on his thigh, and he wished he would have allowed her to touch him, even if it was only for a moment, something to feel the reprieve of the taunting thoughts in his mind. He leaned his head back against the headrest and immediately closed his eyes, parting his lips as a moan tried to leave his lips, but he bit his lip instead to muffle the throaty sound that wanted to escape out in relief. 

As if his dreams wanted to tempt him further, there was a slight pressure against his knee before the feeling moved upwards towards his inner thigh. Adrien’s head lolled to the side, not once opening his eyes to the woman beside him. Feeling her lean up against him, he could feel the puffs of air coming from her lips, soft muscles pressing against his jaw in an excruciatingly slow manner.

“Mari…” Adrien hushed out, opening one eye to take in the space around him. Simon was focused on the road while Nathalie seemed to be preoccupied with her tablet. He was about to sit up straight and turn to face her when he felt her fingertips brush against his hard cock, and he choked down a groan as she pressed her lips against his neck.

Adrien twisted his head to the side, giving her more room to roam his neck. She happily obliged, pressing soft kisses up and down his neck as her fingers inched closer and closer to cupping his bulge. With one hand, he gripped the door handle to suppress any other moans, and he used the other to grip her hip to keep her seated on the seat.

Her kissing quickened as she trailed down to his collarbone while she palmed and slightly gripped his cock. The groans he tried to suppress slipped out as a throaty growl, causing Nathalie to look up and clear her throat, never once turning around in case the scene was indecent.

Adrien’s eyes shot open as an embarrassed blush brightened his cheeks, and he had to pull Marinette away to get her to stop. She whimpered as she tried to resume her intentions, but with the stoic stature Nathalie possessed along with her ardant stare towards the street, it made him cringe at the lack of indecency he exhibited.

“Save it for the room, Adrien.”

“Noted.” He squawked out, prompting Simon to silently laugh while Nathalie shook her head in exasperation. 

Adrien shrunk into the seat while Marinette sat dejectedly to the side, both silent the rest of the way to the mansion.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry....

Marinette swallowed as she stared out the window. The fog in her brain slowly dissipated right after they were caught by Nathalie, and she even felt dejected for a moment when Adrien pushed himself away from her. The irrational part of her brain made up the illusion that he didn’t want her any longer for being so aroused while in the presence of his pack, but she quickly realized that it was all in her mind when he ran his pinky along the side of her hand. She let out a silent gasp, her lips parting and her heartbeat quickening as the simple touches became sensual, each pass of his fingers reminding her that she was still very much wanted and completely loved by him. The sadness soon slipped away making room for the need and desire to slowly enter her mind, and the smile that he gave her eased the guilt of the earlier misfortune to uplift her spirit.

When Adrien noticed Marinette’s happier nature, he sighed and looked away, no doubt feeling overwhelmed as the desired emotions ran through him once again. She did the same, closing her eyes as she turned towards the window. As she relaxed and leaned her forehead against the glass, her mind reminded her of where they were heading and what would be happening over the next week. The intruding thoughts caused a crimson blush to adorn her cheeks and it was deep enough to rival the color of her suit.

The discomfort gave way to a warmth that coursed through her once again, the flush of embarrassment colliding with her heat and making it unbearable. Unbeknownst to Adrien, she began to feel faint, and she was holding on to any remaining light to avoid slipping into the darkness once again. She would give anything to the heavens just so she could take off her clothes and feel the cool air against her skin, but then her brain nonchalantly reminded her that she only wanted her clothes off so she could feel Adrien rut against her. 

She let out a bitter laugh at the thought, but it didn’t dissuade her from continuing those lewd thoughts. The idea of seeing his toned and tanned body glistening with sweat began to tantalize her mind causing a wave of arousal to rush through her and eliciting a nearly silent moan to slip from her lips. Adrien’s eyes shot open at the sound, and he carefully eyed her to gauge her current state of distress.

Marinette continued to envision Adrien on his bed, his normally perfect locks becoming disheveled as she teased them with her fingertips. She could see herself straddle his hips as she did so, peppering kisses to the bruises on his face as slowly as she could while making her way down his body. Every so often, she would look up and watch his reaction until she reached his hips, teasing him further until she finally pulled the clothes completely off his body. 

Marinette’s mind continued to taunt her as they inched closer towards the mansion. The need to feel friction moved to the forefront of her mind as her arousal came in full force. Her hand tightened around Adrien’s fingers as she began to rub her thighs in search of relief, and her breathing came out in harsh pants as her eyes furrowed in discomfort.

Adrien watched as Marinette fell further and further into the spell of her heat, praying that there would be no issues on their drive. He continued to hold her hand as she clenched and unclenched her fingers, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief as the mansion came into view. Once they passed through the gates of the mansion, Adrien immediately removed his seatbelt and turned to Marinette, willing her to wake up through the fog. He cupped her cheek with his free hand while rubbing his thumb against her cheekbone, doing so until she blearily looked up at him with a small smile.

“Hey. We’re here. Do you think you can stand?”

Marinette swallowed and nodded slowly, trying to give herself a moment to dispel the feeling of wanting to jump him right there. She cleared her throat as he let go of her hand, watching him as he opened up the door to let himself out. She let out a nervous sigh as he made his way around the car towards her door, opening it up before reaching in and helping her step out of it. They stood there for a moment as Adrien waited for Nathalie to exit the car with her tablet in hand, and Marinette held onto his hand tightly as the two pack members spoke about the next steps. 

The earlier intrusive thoughts enveloped her mind once again, and she closed her eyes to imagine the scene in front of her. The rolling thoughts caused her head to roll towards her mate, allowing her to inhale his intoxicating scent without completely taking over his space. The lack of self-control was proving to be thinning as the thoughts ran rampant in the back of her mind, and she was becoming increasingly impatient in waiting until she could create her nest and seductively beg him to lay with her until her heat was completely over. 

No. Not just lay. She wanted to push him down and fuck him. Love him until she wore him out completely. Tease him, bite his skin, bruise the tanned, toned muscle until her suckles brightened the skin with bright red marks. To run her claws up and down his back, even shredding any clothes that reached within her fingers. She didn’t care if the model had any photoshoots coming up. She only wanted to mark him with her teeth and claws, screaming to the world that he was forever hers—

“Hey.” Adrien pressed his hand to her cheek, shaking her out of her dream state and giving her the sweetest smile that could be etched across his features. But as she stared into his verdant gaze, his smile dropped, leaving him with a distraught look in its place. “Are you okay?”

At that moment, she realized she didn’t only want to make love to him. No. She  _ needed  _ to. It was an instinctual, carnal need of rapture possessing her. It overtook her small frame and her eyes filled with desire once again. She took a few steps towards him until her hands gripped his biceps, giving her enough closeness to take in his scent while enjoying the feel of his toned muscles underneath her fingers. He gladly allowed her to do as she pleased, but the moment she looked up at him with a sensual smirk, his knees went weak and the deep-rooted desire came rushing back.

Adrien noticed the change in the space between them and all he wanted to do in that moment was push her against the car and take her right then and there in the open space. It didn’t help when Marinette let go of his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a chance to inhale the pheromones seeping out of her glands. His head fell onto her shoulder, letting his nose nuzzle against her skin, indulging himself of her sweet aroma. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her body, taking one hand and gliding it up and down her torso in slow movements while the other remained at her waist, his thumb teasing the sliver of skin peeking between her pants and shirt. The unexpected touch caused a shiver to run down her spine while a quiet moan escaped her lips. Marinette arched her neck back, silently begging him to bite her and call her his. In the back of her mind, she knew it was not the time. Their mutual promise to each other was that they would wait, but the heat was coming in full force causing her instincts to overpower the last of her rational mind.

“Adrien.” Nathalie scolded politely. 

Adrien sighed as he pulled Marinette away, her body flushed red and searing hot to the touch. He held her up with one hand on her waist while the other was placed underneath her arm for stability and keeping her steady as she swayed slightly on her feet. Her eyes were closed and she was slightly trembling, and Adrien could pinpoint the exact moment she passed out from overheating. 

“Adrien!” Nathalie called out, her eyes wide with fear. Simon panicked beside her, dropping the duffel bag and reaching out to catch Marinette in case Adrien didn’t notice her impending fall. But with cat-like reflexes, Adrien caught her falling form, picking her up in a bridal hold while a look of panic struck him once again. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, focusing on Marinette and what he knew she needed at that very moment. He exhaled and opened his eyes, his emerald orbs darkening to a jade color as his own instincts took over. 

He rushed up the stairs two steps at a time, slightly hearing the quick footsteps from his bodyguard and caretaker as they followed closely behind him. Once he reached the landing and stood in front of the large oak doors to the mansion, he wasted no time in shifting Marinette’s weight to one side, giving him a free hand to unlock the door and whipping it wide open. He shifted her back comfortably into his arms, resting her head against his chest as he made his way through the doors and across the foyer until he reached the section of the mansion that housed the heat room. 

When he turned the corner to the hallway that led to the single door, he could feel Marinette stir, her strangled mewls spilling from her lips as her eyebrows furrowed in discomfort.

“Almost there, love.” He mumbled against her temple, leaving a chaste kiss on her skin.

The door to the room opened and a maid exited the space, smiling to herself as she hummed a tune while placing the hamper onto the cart in the hallway. She was enthralled in her work, not noticing the alpha running towards her in quick concession. When she finally heard the running footsteps, she looked up and noticed his nearing form, letting out a shriek in fright as she moved away from the doorway quickly, narrowly avoiding being collided with by the protective alpha.

Adrien rushed into the room and went straight for the bedroom, laying her down on the clean white sheets that the maid had just placed on the bed. She laid there listlessly as her chest rose and fell in rapid movements while her legs moved in distress. He sat down beside her and brushed her bangs to the side before lightly running his knuckles down her temple until he reached her cheek. He let out an anxious sigh as all the stress exited his body, and he could finally smile in relief. 

She was safe. She was home. And now she could rest properly with him by her side.

Subtle footsteps echoed in the living area, breaking him from his momentary peace. Adrien sighed as he thought over his options. He would most likely need to get up and meet with Nathalie to gather Marinette’s things, but he also hoped that Nathalie would do him the favor and come in to see them so he didn’t have to leave her side. When he realized Nathalie wouldn’t be coming to them after a few minutes, he let out a disgruntled groan as he figured the decision was made for him, with Nathalie choosing Marinette’s privacy over his comfort.

Walking out into the living room, he noticed that the door was closed with no other human in sight and Marinette’s duffle bag had been placed on the kitchen island. He walked up to it, tilting his head as he thought about opening the bag and placing the items where she would need it most. He didn’t like the idea of going through her things, but he had heard that omegas were pretty out of it for most of their heat and that he would have to be in charge of her care while she was in her vulnerable state. 

He placed his palms flat on the counter as he stared at the bag. He then hunched over and bowed his head until he stared at the floor, mulling over his options. After a few moments, he turned his head towards the closet that he discovered during his rut. He remembered it was filled with a plethora of blankets and pillows, enough to make two large nests if carefully crafted. Knowing she would need it for her own nest as the linens in the bedroom would not be enough, he pushed himself off the counter and walked to the door, opening it and gathering as much as he could in one haul. He carefully brought the linens to the bedroom and placed them on the floor in front of the bed before rushing back out to gather the remaining items. Once he deposited them all into the large pile, he looked up and noticed that Marinette was no longer on the bed, and he furrowed his brows as he looked around the room to look for where she went. But as soon as he opened his mouth to call for her, he heard a knock at the entrance, reluctantly causing him to leave his mate once again to answer the door. 

Biting his lower lip as he turned in the doorway to eye the room once more, his eyes landed on the bathroom door that had a golden light peeking through the bottom seal. He could hear her voice speaking sweetly, but was unsure of what she was saying. He sighed in relief knowing that she was conscious enough to walk around, finally leaving the room to speak to whoever needed his attention. When he opened the door he noticed Nathalie standing before him with a look of concern.

“Has she woken up yet?”

“Yeah.” He let out a relieved smile. “She was in the bathroom while I grabbed the linens from the closet.”

“Oh, good. I came by to show you where all the items she would need were located,” she said, handing him a few items that were held in her hands, “along with giving you these.”

Adrien looked down and furrowed his brow. “What’s this?”

“Just a few things Mr. Dupain had handed me before we left. Marinette’s favorite snacks along with yours, and a few things that must have slipped out of her bag when she was trying to create her nest. He said they were hidden between the counter and a bag of flour.”

In his hand was the charm bracelet he made Marinette for her birthday a few years ago along with a handmade Chat Noir doll that he recognized from her superhero collection. Holding the items and nodding his head in thanks, he led Nathalie into the kitchen so Adrien could place the items on the counter.

“So you found all the linens, correct?” Adrien nodded. “And I don’t want to assume, but if you had found the linens, I think your curiosity found the toys in the closet?”

Adrien blushed and ducked his head, nodding furiously while he peered at her through his bangs. She pursed her lips as she stifled a laugh, before clearing her throat and continuing. 

“We filled the fridge with plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with easy slices of meats, cheeses, and an array of baked goods from the bakery. It’s very important that she be fed. Her instincts will take over and food will be one of the last things on her mind. As an alpha, your duty is to keep her safe, fed, and comfortable, along with going along with whatever she needs. I understand you and Marinette discussed certain things, but she will need constant reminders and reassurances when her heat takes over her rationality, if it hasn’t done so already.”

“Okay, yeah. I can do that.” He stated, nervously. “We’ve talked a lot about this. She’s also been showing me how to do a few easy things for her to snack on. Is the chef still going to prepare things like he did for mine?”

“Yes. The food he will be bringing up will be more carbohydrate-and-protein packed than yours was during your rut. Omegas have extra needs since the reason for their heat is to mate and be ready to bear pups.” Adrien flushed crimson at the reasoning. Nathalie noticed and smiled. “Don’t worry, Adrien. I know you will have everything handled. Oh! I almost forgot. Do you need protection?”

Adrien’s blush reached the tip of his ears. “N-no. She’s all set. Her mother put her on, ah- the pill?”

She cocked her eyebrow at his hesitance. “Are you sure? Or are you already planning on having pups?” Adrien sputtered, causing her to crack a teasing grin. “Relax. I’m teasing you. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng had already relayed that information, and she requested that I remind you that she will still need to take it every morning. Make sure she does take it at 8 AM and with a full glass of water. It should be in her bag.”

“Gotcha.” 

“Also, your father is on his way back from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He stated the police have taken the statements from all parties involved, and have brought the alphas into the station for questioning and booking. Due to the situation, they will be coming in to take your statement and Marinette’s statement, should she remember hearing anything in between consciousness. They will call before they arrive to see if you are able to speak to them. It will be either sometime this afternoon or tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, anything else?”

“I need a list of items that you will need from your room. While you are allowed to leave, I don’t think it will be wise to do so. Marinette may get extremely overprotective and not allow you to leave her side. The only time you’ll be able to leave is when she rests. But, even then, you’ll only have a limited time to gather what you need before she cries out for you.”

Adrien nodded his head as he thought about what he needed. He wrote down a small list with a few of his essentials and where it’s located in his room. He handed the list to Nathalie and walked her out with appreciation before locking the door. He carded his fingers through his hair and made his way towards the bedroom, knocking on the door jam to gain her attention. He wasn’t sure if she had left the bathroom yet, but he didn’t want to interrupt her if she was indecent.

“Marinette? Can I come in?”

“Come here, my alpha.” Marinette responded seductively, her words dripping with want. 

Adrien gulped and walked in, only to stop frozen in his spot as he noticed his mate in her completed nest. But not only was she already laying down and waiting for him, she was laying there completely naked, her legs open to reveal her glistening wet core. He barely noticed that one hand was playing with her nipple while the other ran soothing strokes up and down her folds. He could feel his arousal beginning to grow deep within him, aching to be released.

“Ma- Mari?”

“My dear alpha,” she purred out, turning over until she was on all fours. She stretched out in front of her, her ass lifting in the air as she wiggled her hips in order to entice him. The more forward she stretched, the wider legs moved out, and the more he was able to see her perfectly pink pussy that was seemingly calling out to him. When she stretched out as far as she could, she leaned down onto her elbows, keeping her ass perfectly placed in the air. She then turned her head until she could see his waiting form over her shoulder, the smirk on her face indicating she was enjoying his starstruck gaze.

Adrien licked his lips as his mouth went dry. He could feel his cock twitch under the confines of his jeans, the feeling of arousal shooting through him and causing a shiver to run along his spine. He closed his eyes as he lolled his head back to muffle a groan, and he clenched his fists against his side to ground him. The sounds of a teasing moan caused him to open his eyes, and his knees buckled when he noticed her newest tease. He leaned his shoulder against the doorframe to hold himself up while simultaneously gripping the doorframe tightly with his other hand to keep him steady.

“My alpha.” She called out to him again, circling her fingers around the hood of her clit before dipping her finger inside her warm core. She slid her fingers in and out of her excruciatingly slow, bucking her hips in the process and closing her eyes as she moaned. “I need your help, my alpha.”

Something within Adrien shifted the moment she said she needed his help. His eyes shifted to a deeper shade of jade, his pulse quickened, and his scent picked up the increase of pheromones. He could feel himself salivate at the thought of licking her clean, and his fangs elongated as the desire to claim her crossed his mind. But then it hit him. She specifically asked for  _ her _ alpha.  _ Him. _ She wanted  _ him _ to help her and no one else, and that very thought caused him to moan out in excitement, ready to take his mate and love her until she was completely spent.

Of course, it was not the first time she had specified he was her alpha, but at that moment, watching her ask for him as if no one else in this world mattered to her made him feel completely wanted. He was the purpose of her world, to be the mate she needed to go through her first heat. She could have done this alone, to be in her room with the windows and doors barred and be kept away from the world just like he had done during his rut. She could have found someone else to be with - the soulmate part of this withheld - but she didn’t, and that meant more to him than anything else could have.

Licking his fangs, he pushed himself off the doorframe and strutted over to her, kneeling down the moment he reached the outskirts of the nest. He lowered his head as his arms rested against his sides, waiting for her approval to enter into her domain. He didn’t need permission to enter, but he wanted to give her the option, allowing his mate to control the building tension between them. Omegas needed the control of their nest - it's their safe space to do as they please - and Adrien would do whatever he needed to ensure she was comfortable while away from her own home.

Marinette pushed herself off the ground and turned to face him. She sat back on her haunches, placing her hands on her thighs as he awaited her word. She slowly ran her hands up and down her smooth skin, splaying her fingers across her hips before sliding them back down to her knees. 

She continued to tease him while watching him shift uncomfortably on his knees in silence. Marinette noticed his eagerness, the dark desire building behind his jade orbs. His chest was rising and falling slowly, yet heavily, and his arousal could be seen through his tight jeans making her growl with hunger. The tension between them brought an onslaught of delicious pheromones, his musky scent mixing with her sweet scent, creating a relaxing and pleasing atmosphere perfect for them to breed and play to their heart's content.

She stopped her sensual touches and stood up, leaning down over his still kneeling form. She softly gripped his chin and lifted it up, placing a sweet kiss on his lips to pull him out of his trance. Marinette slid her hand down to his shoulder, holding onto his strong form for stability as she deepened the kiss. 

He chased her lips, tilting his head to get a better taste of her, running his tongue along the bottom lip as he sought entrance into her warm mouth. She granted him access, kneeling down before him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, running his palms along the smooth skin of her back, relishing in the heat that was radiating off of her body. 

The kisses became passionate. His fingers trailed into the silky tresses across her shoulders, her palms gripped his clothes for purchase, all while swollen kissed lips searching for more. It was as if breathing never mattered, that air was the least important item in the universe when kisses and touches could keep them alive for the rest of time. Marinette wanted more, wanted to feel his bare skin along hers, feeling his touch where it mattered the most, to have him please her and tease her until she was exhausted by his fill. 

Adrien’s heart dropped as she pulled back first. It was only for a moment, a simple second of missed contact, but a shiver of arousal passed through him as she eyed him deliciously. He noticed her gaze on his, the hungry look of want, but what made his arousal twitch with need was when he noticed that her sky blue gaze had shifted back to her gorgeous sapphire orbs, yet there was a hint of silver hidden within the iris. He bit his lip as he took in her beauty, and growled as she stood back up and stepped further into her nest, moving further away from his reach.

“Strip, alpha. Bare your body and soul to me.” She purred, half-lidded eyes delirious with one thing on her mind.

Adrien smiled. “Anything for you, my omega.” 

Without taking his eyes off of Marinette, Adrien slid off his white blazer first, tossing it onto the now unmade bed. She bit her lip as the anticipation increased, and he could feel the growl of exhilaration start to rumble within his chest. He then slowly pulled his blue shirt off, allowing her to relish in the ripples of his abs, the muscles in his arms flexing as he gripped the shirt and lifted it over his head. Running his fingers through his locks, Adrien smirked at her as he noticed her rolling her head to the side, a sultry moan leaving her lips in an attempt to relieve her pent up frustrations. She was aroused, her nipples peaked into perfect pebbles, and goosebumps riddled her skin as the heat released from her body into the cool air. He started to remove the button of his jeans, but Marinette sobered enough to reach forward and grab his wrist before looking up at him with a teasing gaze.

Adrien removed his hands from his jeans, placing them in the air as she took control. With her hands on his hips, she guided him into the nest, stopping him right as they reached the center. She ran her palms against his hips, slowly sliding her fingertips into the bands of his jeans and boxers, allowing her to feel the swell of his ass. She took one step forward as she continued her ministrations, pressing her lips lightly against his right collarbone until she reached the left one. She then moved her lips until she reached his pecs, ghosting her lips over the skin until Adrien groaned out. Her touch ignited a fire in him, burning with desire as she continued to play.

He moaned out as he felt her hands reach the front of his jeans, popping the button as quickly as she could, and unzipped his fly until the tight jeans loosened around his waist. Slowly, she lowered herself down until she kneeled before him, continuing the ghostly pecks of kisses as she made her way down his torso. He shivered again once she was fully kneeled before him, rolling his head back as his arousal twitched in his jeans.

Noticing his dilemma, she slid her thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and underwear, removing both slowly and kissing the exposed skin in tandem, teasing him fully until she pushed the clothing over his crotch, allowing the cock to spring free from its prison.

Marinette’s eyes shifted, her eyes filled with intense desire as she took in the state of his swollen length, drinking in the goodness of its size with just her eyes. She then placed tender kisses on his pelvis, pressing her lips around the space between his hips, but never pressing her lips to the delicious member that she so wished to consume. Knowing this would be their first time consummating their relationship, taking their courting to the next level and removing the name of virginity from the imaginary heading surrounding their names, she knew she wanted to take this in stride, no matter how impatient her heat was making her feel. 

Patience was a virtue, and she was going to milk it until she was screaming in ecstasy.

She pulled herself back and looked up into his eyes, licking her parched lips as she plotted her next move. She smirked before biting her lip, waiting until he looked down and gazed into her eyes. She wanted him to watch her break his resolve down, watch her kiss his cock until it was swallowed by her warm mouth. The moment he looked down, she batted her eyes, pressing a kiss to the tip of his cock before swirling her tongue around the head. Adrien gasped, bucking his hips at the unexpected contact, before wrapping his fingers into her raven locks. Marinette hummed at his reaction, removing her tongue from the head to press kisses against his length. 

Adrien shuttered, tightening his hold in her hair as she continued her path back to the base of his cock. He moaned, head rolling back again as the feeling of her lips felt warm against his cock. The feeling his body reacting to her touch caused the desire to run rampant through his body, and he didn’t know how much longer he could contain that desire without unleashing the feral beast within him.

He looked down and noticed her movements back up to the tip of his cock, watching her lick her lips much more than she had before. The fog lifted, causing him to realize that she was in a position to satisfy him instead of what should be done - satisfying  _ her _ .

Sliding his hands from her hair to her shoulders, he pushed her back before her mouth could engulf his cock, prompting her to whimper from the interruption. Adrien smirked as a seductive gleam twinkled in his eye, causing her to part her lips as a gasp escaped her lips. He placed his finger underneath her chin, lifting it and guiding her into a standing position.

“A- Adrien?”

“Shh, my love.” She opened her mouth to retort, wanting to interrupt him from her desire in pleasing him. “I’m here to satisfy you.”

In one quick motion, Adrien leaned down and grasped her thighs, lifting Marinette up until she was situated on his hips. She squeaked out at the unexpected movement, wrapping her arms around his neck to save herself from falling back. She knew she wouldn’t, he would never let her fall without him breaking the fall on her behalf, but being within the safety of his arms caused her skin to burn and the desire to rapidly develop within her core. She looked into his eyes, the playful smirk curling his lips before he captured her lips with his. 

Their mouths raced against one another as he held her close. He licked along the bottom lip to seek entrance and she gladly accepted him in, only to suck the muscle causing him to moan. Adrien cupped her ass as he pressed his throbbing cock against her folds, causing her to moan out in delight at the feeling of him. She shifted her hips against his arousal, quickly grinding against the swollen cock in an eager attempt to release. She was already close, her earlier playful teases edged her closer and closer to the precipice hoping that once he entered her, she could help him dispel his seed in her.

Adrien noticed the change in her demeanor, the frenzied grip around his shoulders as she rolled her hips frantically against his, even shifting herself as she moved to a position that would only help her further. He wanted to help her, give her a stronger reaction to climax, especially knowing that he could only go so far without being in a rut himself. Bracing himself, he reached down around her backside, sliding his fingers along her folds until he found her entrance.

Marinette gasped out as his fingers slid against her folds, gripping his shoulders tightly and crying out as he entered her. She continued to grind against him as he pumped his fingers in and out of her, her mewls increasing as she neared the edge of her climax. Adrien noticed her tense up, digging her nails into his skin as her eyes clenched tightly shut. He captured her lips, helping her fall off the edge completely, continuing his ministrations as she rode out her orgasm until she stilled on his hips.

Adrien continued to kiss her as he removed his fingers from her core, enjoying the feel of the slick that coated his fingers and dribbled onto his cock. He slowly brought her down until her back nestled against the sheets, nestling himself between her legs until Marinette let go of his lips. She gazed into his eyes, prompting him to smile back at her, that same charming smile that made her insides turn to mush every time she witnessed it. 

The sudden release of her climax only offered a slight resolve from the built-up desires. Her mind briefly reminded her that she wanted to take him in slowly, but as soon as wrapped his lips around the slick-coated fingertips, the increasing rise of her heat started to fog her brain once again, and all her mind cared for was for him to take her fully, sliding his cock and calling him hers as he filled her with his seed. 

“Adrien.” Her voice called out to him, pleading for more, and Adrien couldn’t contain the instinct to give her what she needed.

Removing his fingers from his mouth, he hovered over her body and crashed his lips with hers. He slowly devoured her swollen lips as he ran his hand along her torso, feeling her warm skin beneath his fingertips. He pressed his arousal against her folds and Marinette immediately bucked her hips as she succumbed to the fog. Her lips chased his in vengeance, seeking the resolution her body needed as she ground her hips against his. She moaned in his mouth causing the vibrations to tease him further, and he let go of her lips to stare into her eyes. 

Her half-lidded gaze attempted to seduce him, giving him the silent approval necessary to take her now. Adrien understood, passionately taking her lips once again as he lined the tip of his cock with her entrance. Slowly, he slid his length in her, feeling the warm slick coat his cock. She gasped, arching her back against the sheets as a loud moan escaped her lips when he was fully sheathed within her, causing her to wrap her arms around his shoulders in an attempt to ground her.

“ _ Fuck-  _ Adrien.” She cried out breathlessly, grasping at his back as the feeling of arousal overcame her. He gazed into her eyes, ensuring that she was okay to continue, and when she kissed his lips, he began to thrust, feeling the intense heat as he moved within her. 

It wasn’t long before she fell over the edge again, screaming out his name as he continued to thrust until she was completely spent. Her eyes clenched shut as her claws scratched down his back, her moans being held back by pursed lips while relishing in the feel of her climax. He slowed down slightly, giving her a chance to recoup, feeling his own arousal begin to bubble within him.

“Adrien,” Marinette whispered against his jaw and he hummed in response. “Keep fucking me.  _ Please. _ ”

Adrien didn’t need to be told twice. He didn’t want her to beg or leave her feeling unfinished. He pressed his lips against hers again, before trailing down to her neck, licking and biting her gland as she mewled in response. When the feeling of his arousal dissipated, he began to thrust once again, focusing on her needs over his own.

Marinette’s arms loosened their tight grip from around his shoulders, sliding down his arms until her elbows were flush against the floor. Her hands gripped his biceps, relishing in the feel of his muscles contracting whenever he thrust in her. She tilted her head to the side, giving him complete access to her glands, exposing the sweet scent for him to drown in. He gladly accepted her neck, licking her skin as his fangs grazed the gland.

Marinette shuttered as she took in the feeling of his swollen cock. His lips on her neck and the swipes of his tongue caused a whirlwind of emotions to flood her mind, and she gripped his biceps in a silent plea for more. Adrien noticed the subtle change, tilting his hips enough to cause her legs to widen more, allowing him to thrust deeper into her in every pass. She cried out as the tip of his cock brushed up against the bundle of nerves nestled within her core, and the feeling of ecstasy started to stir within her once again. She bit her lip, mewling at the newest sensation, crying out as he increased his speed.

Adrien rolled his hips, continuing his ministrations as he began to bite her neck, being careful as he nipped the skin around her mating gland. He could feel her edging closer and closer to the brink once again, and he could feel his own impending arousal fighting its way to a release. His thrusts became erratic as her mewls came out in harsh tones, both nearing their climax.

“Mar-  _ fuck- _ ” Adrien tried to call to her, warning her of what was to come.

“Knot me.” Marinette breathlessly asked, her sapphire gaze shimmering with need as she pressed her lips against his jaw. Adrien slowly closed his eyes as he felt her lips graze his skin, feeling the love swell within him at her soft tone.

Marinette reached up to pinch her nipple, teasing the pebbled peak as she felt him swell. He kissed her passionately as he continued to thrust and she cried out as his fangs bit her bottom lip. That was all she needed to fall from the high, crying out as the explosive feel of her arousal overtook her, taking him with her as they fell over the edge together. The feeling of his knot entered her, swelling within her as he continued to thrust. He filled her up completely, continuously chasing her lips as he kissed her passionately, moaning into her mouth. She followed him, parting her own lips to moan out in relief. He seeked entrance and Marinette happily devoured his lips until the high dissipated, making her feel exhausted once their lips parted.

Adrien held her close, watching her eyes shutter close as she relaxed from the feeling. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he rolled them onto his back, planting his feet flat against the nest to allow her to straddle his hips comfortably. He placed her head against his chest as she slept soundly from their love-making, kissing the crown of her head as he ran his hand up and down her back. He laid there for a moment, waiting for his knot to contract completely, allowing them a more comfortable sleep. He closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of being here with her, letting out one final sigh of relief before giving into the exhaustion that began to take hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just Kidding!
> 
> Now how will the rest of her heat go? 😉


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH. I'm sooooooo sorry for taking forever to post this! I'll explain in the end notes!
> 
> Also! The first section talks about Jordan and his backstory. As I have mentioned in previous comments, there is no Non-Con on Marinette, whatsoever. I promise!
> 
> Enjoy!

Jordan sat at his kitchen table, blankly staring at the wooden surface as he waited for the scolding that was bound to come. He idly rolled a pencil between his palm, allowing the wooden writing instrument to gently roll between his thumb and pinky. The noises around him were muted at best, but the roar of his frustrations festered and grew as he sat and stewed over the suspension.

“—can’t keep doing this!” The man’s husky voice broke through the fog causing Jordan to stop his motions and peer up at the speaker.

“He’s just a boy; a teenager who can’t control his emotions.” The woman stated as she crossed her arms, her face visibly puffy and red from the tears. “The doctor said—”

“That doctor is an idiot!”

Jordan laughed out bitterly, the man stopping mid-thought to look and scold at him. “Don’t think we will let this slide, Jordan. You’ve caused us enough headaches to last us a lifetime!”

“Yeah, right.” Jordan rolled his eyes at the man, eliciting a scoff as he turned his head.

“You respect me...” He seethed; jaw clenched tightly.

“For what? You’re not my dad. You’re just some rich hussy my mom decided to marry just so she didn’t have to work another day in her life.”

“Jordan!” His mother cried out, clearly distraught over the lies her son was stating. “Pierre. You don’t believe that, right?”

Pierre stared at Jordan for a few heartbeats before turning his eyes away and softening as he peered at his wife. “Of course I know that, Michelle. It’s your son who believes that.” He said gesturing to the teenager who was screwing his lips up in disgust.

Pierre turned and looked back at Jordan, his eyes darkening in rage. “I love your mother and helped you with your legal problems, or did you already forget who helped your ass when you were threatened to go to jail for your ‘emotions’ taking over?”

“I didn’t forget.” Jordan relented, turning away slightly to hide his disdain.

“And the way you’re acting towards an omega that clearly has a mate is bound for trouble once again. Just look at your face! You’re littered with bruises and now you’re suspended for a week. Plus fighting with an alpha from the Agreste pack! What were you thinking? His father will have our throats if his injuries are permanent. Everything you have will be gone.”

“That asshole deserved it. He thinks he’s a golden ray of sunshine. And of course, he gets to be with an omega. Especially an omega as good as her.”

“And that is none of your concern, Jordan.” Pierre angrily cried out, clearly frustrated that this conversation was not going anywhere in the right direction. “You attacked an alpha while he was trying to take care of his omega—"

“She’s not his yet! I didn’t see a claim bite!”

“That doesn’t matter!”

“Jordan! Stop this!” His mother finally cried out, interrupting the feuding alphas. “We can’t—we can’t do this again!”

Jordan sat there, seething. He knew they were right. He knew he should ignore that need for claim. But when Jordan had something on his mind, he had to see it to fruition. He was going to make sure Marinette was his. His initial idea was to seduce Marinette when she went into heat, but her going into heat in front of Adrien only threw a wrench into his plans. But as long as what Lila had found out was true—that she wouldn’t be claimed this time around—and as long as Marinette was unclaimed until her next heat, she was ripe for the taking.

His eyes flashed with a thought and his lips lightly curled with fascination. Looking up to check the date, he mentally noted when her next heat was bound to come around.

He wasn’t going to let his past haunt him anymore. Once she was his, and Adrien finally Lila’s, that bitch can get off his back and no one would be none the wiser.

“We can’t keep doing this for you,” Pierre stated, slightly exasperated. “Once was enough, Jordan. I will say this once, and only once. If you _try_ and claim that girl, like you did to that…” Pierre closed his eyes, holding in the burst of anger that ran through him as he thought over the last encounter, “that poor omega... then we won’t save you. You’re on your own.”

Jordan stared into the alpha’s steel-grey eyes, finally turning away as the man’s words settled in his mind.

* * *

Adrien stirred as he felt a weight shift against him. His eyes remained closed as he licked his parched lips, wondering if he remembered to keep a glass of water by his nightstand. He felt so comfortable and warm—a feeling that he hadn’t felt since his mother had died—and continued to chase that feeling that seemed to want to disappear. He furrowed his brow when the shifting weight stopped, and he assumed it was the feeling of Marinette shifting against him as she rested from their lovemaking.

He was close to drifting back asleep when her weight shifted once more, but this time it was accompanied by the feeling of pressed lips on his neck while soft fingers trailed into his locks. The sensation made him want to purr, and he was close to doing so before deciding to clear his throat to stop it before it could begin.

The familiar feeling of arousal ran through him as the simple pecks became more sensual. The delicate touch of her lips left him wanting more, and he clenched his eyes as she pressed her lips slowly down until she reached his collarbone. Her lips lingered there for a moment, licking and nipping the flushed skin as she allowed her nails to run across the nape of his neck with a ghost-like touch.

Adrien bit his lip as he relished in the feeling. He attempted to lift his hand in hopes to run his bare hand over her soft skin, but when Marinette began to slowly kiss her way back up towards his jaw, Adrien dropped his hand, choosing to lightly claw at the sheets with his fingertips instead. He whimpered as her tongue darted out and ran along his neck, but groaned out when it was followed by her blowing cool air onto the wet skin. She continued her torturous ministrations with a rotation of simple kisses, sensual licks, and warm nuzzles against his scent gland, and the multiple sensations made Adrien silently plead for her to end his misery. He was about to shift his weight when he felt her sharp fangs grazing his scent glad as lightly nipped at his neck.

The mixture of sensations caused Adrien to loudly moan out as her hands trailed down from his hair and over his cheek, slowly making the trek over the divots and muscles in his chest and arms. The movement paused, only for a moment, before soft lips made their way over to his. It was slow and loving with no hunger in sight, and Adrien finally wrapped his arms around the weight until he felt the smooth skin across his palms.

Finally realizing that this was not a dream, Adrien opened his eyes just enough to peer through his lashes, noticing that his mate looked immaculate beside him. Her porcelain skin looked flush as she took control of her desires, her raven strands pooling and gliding effortlessly across his chest as she continued her tedious movements. He relished in the feel of his mate teasing his skin, the tender kisses becoming hungrier as the seconds passed by. He could feel Marinette lift herself until she was comfortably on her knees, gaining a better position on her attack to his neck. He happily obliged as he turned his head just enough to give her more access to his neck.

Marinette whimpered out in happy delight at the reward for her tease, continuing her kisses as she ran her free hand over his chest. Adrien took that moment to gaze upon her body, relishing in the deliciousness of her smooth skin. He could see the swell of her ass, the athletic and toned muscle calling out to him to run his fingers across it. The calling was short-lived, as the feel of her fingers trailing down his torso took precedence in his mind. The slow movements became torturous, her fingers only running against the smooth skin on his pelvis yet never reaching the increasingly aroused member as she continued her ministrations.

Adrien groaned out as his cock twitched to be touched. She moved her fingers until it lingered at the base of his cock before she brushed her fingertips through his curls. He unconsciously gripped her hips, slightly bucking his own in hopes to show her how needy he was for her touch. She responded in kind, lightly gripping his length at the base as she decided on how she wanted to proceed.

Adrien’s eyes fluttered open; the half-lidded gaze followed her every move to see what she would do to him. The anticipation of her handling him caused him to bite his bottom lip, and he once again tightly clenched his eyes shut as she finally moved on to her chosen tease. Marinette ran the tip of one of her fingers languorously up his cock until she reached the tip, only to swirl the pad of her finger around the head of his dick excruciatingly slow. Not only was it slow, but it was sensually driven, and it was becoming increasingly harder to keep himself from sputtering all over her.

She swirled a few times before sliding her finger back down the length of his shaft, only to begin the motion once again. Marinette continued the tease, hoping that she could get him to the point of begging to unleash within her without a second thought.

“My alpha,” she purred against the shell of his ear and he whined in response.

She smirked as she watched him squirm under her palm before deciding that she tortured him enough. But the moment she stopped, the begging need to be bred broke through the fog in her mind, and she captured his lips with fervor.

He happily obliged, bringing his fingers to her hair and twisting the locks in his palms as he kissed her back with such passion that he could not wait another minute further. He rolled them both over until her back rested against the linens, and the silvery look to her eye only made him realize one thing: she wanted to be bred and she wanted it now.

_He could never deny his mate_ that _satisfaction._

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he captured her lips once more, feeling her hips roll against his as her claws dug into his hips. He continued to chase her lips, nipping and sucking the swollen muscle as he ground against her folds. He could hear her breathy moan, his lips muffling the impatient whimpers as she tried to guide him to enter her.

Smirking against her lips, he leaned on his elbow and removed his hand from her hair, quickly bringing it to her clit and toying with the sensitive flesh. The sudden touch sent shivers down Marinette’s spine, and she tried to bury her face in the sheets as she moaned out in relief. Adrien ran his fingers up and down her folds, coating his fingers in her honey-like juices. He entered into her, thrusting his fingers in and out of her before removing them and rubbing her clit and hood methodically.

“Fuck.” Marinette screamed out, the coil building within her as he continued his repetitive motions. “Adrien. _Please._ ” She begged, wanting that coil to snap so she could feel some relief.

Adrien could see his mate clenching her eyes, her fingertips digging into his biceps as she held on for dear life, and Adrien smirked as he could feel her walls begin to clench around his fingers. He added another two fingers into her core, thrusting quicker as he searched for the bundle of nerves that were nestled within her. A cat-like grin stretched across his face, her head thrown back in surprise as he bent his fingers and rubbed against the nerves.

It didn’t take long for her to fall into the abyss. She thrust her head back as she screamed out his name, praising him for the release. He continued to tease her nerves as she came down from her high, and she captured his lips as the relief quickly turned to desire once again. Adrien had little time to react, figuring that he still had some time before needing to release his own within her.

Removing his fingers, he brought them to his lips, sucking off the juices that coated the digits. She whimpered as he did so, running her hand across her chest and down her torso until she reached her clit. Marinette rubbed her hood as her hips bucked in tandem, and Adrien bit his lip as he watched his mate fuck herself with her own hand. Her other hand was still wrapped tightly around his bicep, and she squeezed his muscle as she edged herself closer to another climax.

“ _Fuck._ ”

Adrien leaned down and wrapped his lips around her nipple, sucking the mound as he held the soft flesh in his hand. He ran his tongue around the areola, flicking his tongue against the pert peak, and sucking on it once more before releasing it with a wet pop. He watched her with a half-lidded gaze as he made his way to the other breast, sucking and playing with the peak before nipping at the sensitive flesh. He could feel her chest rising and falling as her hands made quick work to her clit, and Adrien could see she was drastically close as she screwed her eyes shut.

Pinching her nipples between his fingertips, he captured her lips once again, kissing her passionately as she hit her own peak, whimpering into his mouth as she fell down from the high. She let go of his lips as she removed her fingers from her core, slowly loosening her grip from his bicep until she let her hands fall to the sheets. She rested for a moment as Adrien kissed up and down her neck, before the insatiable need to be fucked by him hit her once again.

She stilled beneath him, a new wave of warmth filling her and flushing her skin. Adrien could feel the heat radiate from her body, and he stopped his tender kisses to look into her silvery eyes once again.

“My alpha.” She called out, running her fingers through his damp locks as he continued to hover over her.

“My omega.” Adrien whispered to her, feeling her shiver beneath him. He settled himself between her legs, lifting her hips up until his swollen cock brushed up against her folds.

“ _Please._ ” She begged and he quickly thrust himself in her. Marinette gasped out as she felt him fill her and she bit her lip as she felt the tip of his cock brush up against her sweet spot. She began to feel the familiar feeling of arousal build within her, and she moaned out as he began to thrust quickly and firmly against her.

“ _Fuck—_ Adrien. Keep— _mph…_ keep going. Don’t stop. _Ever._ ”

Adrien picked up speed once the words left her lips. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he nuzzled his face into her neck. He pressed hard kisses against her collarbone before licking and nipping at her mating gland. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his shoulders, gripping the toned flesh of his arms as his thrusts moved into a roll. She let out a strangled moan, her grip tightening as the new motion caused her to writhe beneath him.

He decided he needed to switch his position, make her cum once more on her own before he could finish them both off. Lifting them both until he was kneeling before her, he quickly brought her legs up until her knees were resting over his shoulders and he rested his palms on her thighs as he held them close to his chest. He started to thrust slowly, ensuring that this position was okay for them both before increasing his tempo. His wary expression switched to one of satisfaction as a flurry of whimpers and moans spilled from her lips with each rock of his hips.

“A— _ahh_ —Adrien!” Marinette cried out; her eyes clenched tightly as she bit her lip to hold back her cries.

Adrien noticed the familiar expression on her features and increased his speed until he felt her walls clench around him. She screamed out as she fell over the edge and he slowed down his thrusts until she came down from her high.

Marinette’s eyes were closed as she settled beneath him, and he let go of her legs to allow them to fall beside his own legs. He leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly until she was ready to go again. He knew she would need more, but he wouldn’t push her until she was ready.

Marinette opened her eyes as she pulled away from his lips, turning her head until her lips were perfectly placed beside his ear. “My alpha,” she whispered, nipping at his lobe to ensure she received his undivided attention. “Knot me. I want you to breed me. Fill me up until I can’t anymore.” He turned to gaze into her eyes; his mouth slightly open as she continued to plead. “ _Please._ I _need_ you.”

Adrien crashed his lips into hers, the desire running through him as her words of needing her alpha ran rampant in his mind. He wrapped one arm around her waist, kissing her on the lips once more before lifting her up and flipping her onto her stomach. She yelped out in surprise at first but whimpered when Adrien lifted her up onto her hands and knees before pressing his throbbing cock to the swell of her ass. She gasped, the anticipation flooding her as she waited for him to thrust his cock in her.

Adrien bit his lip as he guided his length into her core, groaning out as the warmth engulfed his cock. Gripping onto her hips, he began to thrust in her, starting off slow before increasing his speed. She groaned out as she gripped the sheets, pressing her face into them as he continued to drive her insane.

He ran his fingers across her ass, squeezing the muscle in his grasp. He could feel the coil build within him, and he knew he wouldn’t last too much longer. He leaned over her as he continued to thrust, running his hand over her hip as he blindly searched for her clit. He kissed her shoulder until he found it, pressing the pads of his fingers against her hood and teasing her further.

He could feel her walls clench around his cock as her body tensed up beneath him. She was close, and so was he, his thrusting becoming more and more erratic as he inched closer to his relief. He could feel his knot swelling and filling her, and it was all that was needed for her to orgasm one last time. She screamed out as he came, the soft linen muffling the harshness of the sound as she felt the waves of his warm pleasure fill her. His body bucked as he unleashed his seed, and he could see her gripping the sheets as a feeling of relief washed over her. He removed his hand from her clit and placed it on her belly, feeling it expand as he filled her completely.

“Such a good omega.” He managed to get out between his heavy breaths, guiding her down to a prose position so they could cuddle within the sheets. He placed his arm underneath her head as he ran his other hand over her swollen abdomen, knowing this was what she needed to feel good. “You’re so gorgeous like this.” He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck before nuzzling his nose into her hair.

Marinette rubbed her nose into his elbow as their erratic breaths slowly leveled out as they came down from their high. She closed her eyes as she cuddled into his warm embrace, enjoying the feel of his knot settled within her.

She felt satiated for the moment, finally running her hand over her belly until she found his hand. She intertwined her fingers with his, sighing out in contentment as they laid there in silence. He hummed out in agreement as her happy pheromones filled the small space, and he continued to nuzzle and nip at her neck as they laid there relishing in the feel of each other’s company. But soon he shifted, much sooner than she would have liked, and she could feel his knot loosen before slipping out of her.

Marinette whined in the loss of heat, and she turned to face him with a cute pout on her face.

Adrien could see that her eyes were still that gorgeous silvery-blue color, and he understood that this meant that she needed more. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to fuck her senseless, to keep her going until she told him she needed rest, but he knew she was going to need more than just this, something to keep her going for hours at a time. He hoped that the next time she goes into heat, he would have his rut too, and they could keep each other going until they both had their fill.

“Mari…”

Her eyes were pleading, and the guilt that he couldn’t help her in that way started to eat at him. He could see that she wanted to continue being bred as many times as she could without bursting, and he sighed as he realized that the lack of rut was going to become a hindrance for them. He needed to just focus on keeping her satisfied until he could be the one to fuel her once again, and he remembered from their required classes that there were other ways to help satiate her in the meantime.

Adrien looked up at the clock and realized it was mid-afternoon.

“Hey. Why don’t we try to eat? You haven’t had anything since breakfast. You must be hungry.”

Marinette ran her eyes up and down his body, biting her bottom lip as she gazed at him with hunger in her eyes.

Adrien gulped, but he persisted. “Come on, love. We need to get you fed.”

“I’m only hungry for one thing.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down until their lips were centimeters apart. “ _You._ ”

Adrien licked his lips as she nuzzled her nose against his, before she pressed her lips to the side of his mouth in hopes to lure him into another round of fun. He twisted to try to get her to stop, but she used his reluctance to rub her nose against his scent gland. He stilled as she kissed his neck sensually, nipping and licking his mating gland as she ran her fingers in his hair. His eyes shuttered close as he relished in the feeling and she took the opportunity to roll her hips against his.

He moaned out before clearing his throat and tried to pull himself back when he realized that her little tease wouldn’t get them anywhere. Marinette whimpered as her eyes pleaded for more, but when she looked down to gaze at his flaccid cock, she realized none of her coaxings helped in him in a second wave of arousal.

Adrien sadly sighed as the guilt continued to gnaw at him. He looked to the side in an attempt to shy away from her gaze, and his eyes landed on the closet doors instead. Remembering what was in it, he grinned, placing a sweet and tender kiss on her lips.

“I’ll be right back.”

He got up and made his way into the closet, opening up the drawers until he found the pink vibrator he happened to find a month ago. He turned it on to make sure it worked, closing the drawer with a happy smile on his face.

Marinette sat up when he noticed Adrien returning with something behind his back. He lifted his palm to her, holding the vibrator in his hand in hopes she would take the compromise.

“I’m going to make you something to eat, my love. But how about this to keep you going until I get back?”

Marinette looked between the vibrator and his eyes; the pout still evident on her face. She sighed, understanding even through the fog that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with her desires. She reached out to grab it before a mischievous gleam sparkled in her eyes.

She picked it up and watched as he smiled brightly over the choice, before taking the vibrator to her lips. Her tongue darted out, licking the pink toy from the base to the tip, before wrapping her lips around the piece and giving it one long suck.

Adrien watched as she removed it from her mouth, before biting her bottom lip while she gazed into his eyes, never once breaking eye contact as she turned on the toy and bringing the toy back down to run over her sex. He gulped, finally looking down at her pussy as she slid the piece between her folds. She laid herself back until her back hit the sheets, slowly inserting the toy into her core as a sensual moan left her lips. Adrien could feel a sense of his arousal returning as he watched his mate play with herself, but a knock on the door broke through his thoughts.

“What the fuck.” He mumbled and Marinette giggled in between her thrusts.

“Don’t be too long. I— _mph_ —I don’t know how long… I’ll last.”

Adrien growled in frustration as he grabbed the pair of jeans that were laying on the floor. He put them on as he watched her, her slow movements teasing him throughout the process. He finally tore his eyes away from his mate, making his way through the bedroom door while a low growl emanated in his chest.

As he walked through the small living area, he mumbled to himself before a stale smell surrounded him, quickly realizing that he needed a shower from all the fuckary he had done today. As he opened the door, he noticed his father waiting for him with his back turned, his arms crossed behind his back.

“Father?” Adrien asked, both confused and annoyed at his untimely interruption.

Gabriel turned, smiling at his son. “Adrien. You’re awake. I tried coming by earlier, but I believe you were sleeping.”

“We were… Did you need something?”

Gabriel walked into the heat room, taking in a whiff of his son as he passed by him. He stopped for a moment, side-eyeing the teen before continuing his walk and his intended conversation.

“The two officers from earlier are here to speak with you and Marinette. That’s if she isn’t indisposed at the moment.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck as he thought over what to do, especially knowing that his girlfriend was currently indisposed and fucking herself with a vibrating dildo at the moment.

“Umm… Could you give me five minutes to get her ready?”

Gabriel was about to agree when loud moans filled the space, all coming from the open door to their bedroom. He quirked a brow at Adrien, watching the teen turn bright red as more moans could be heard.

“Are you not satisfying her—”

“Father!” Adrien interrupted, grabbing at his hair in mortification. He turned a deeper shade of red before readying himself for a response, but Marinette let out a _fuck_ before moaning out a satisfying groan, finally ending it with Adrien’s name falling from her lips.

Gabriel stifled a laugh as he watched Adrien turn purple in embarrassment, breaking the embarrassing trance his son was in. Adrien looked at his father and practically shoved him out, mumbling a hundred little nothings the entire time. As soon as his father passed the threshold into the hallway, Adrien straightened himself up, looking at his dad straight in the eyes.

“Give me ten minutes. And don’t come in until I wave them in.” Gabriel nodded as he turned to the right, beginning his trek down to the foyer. “And dad?” Gabriel turned to look back at his son. “Don’t tell anyone. This stays between us.”

Gabriel nodded as Adrien shut the door, finally laughing in his own mortification at hearing his future daughter-in-law’s orgasmic outburst.

“I need to just listen to Nathalie from now on.” He stated to himself as he turned back down towards the foyer. “She’s always right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys!
> 
> I'm so sorry for taking forever to get this chapter out. Things have been really, REALLY rough lately. Two weeks before I posted the last chapter (so on Nov. 11), I lost my job, then had surgery a week later that required the surgeons to remove a couple of reproductive organs (thanks to endometriosis), and another couple of extremely personal issues that I don't really want to explain here all within a week of the surgery. 
> 
> So while I was recovering, I was able to get the last chapter out, but then I had to shift my focus on reestablishing my Etsy shop so I can create an income while caring for my two school-aged kiddos at the same time. And of course, they are currently home due to an increase of COVID cases in our area, so I am also currently playing teacher as we get through this together. I also needed to edit and recreate the first 17 chapters of HE into a published book, so I had to spend a lot of time making sure everything was ready for the series book launch.
> 
> So because of this, I ended up having a severe case of writer's block for this chapter while also battling a severe case of depression. I had a good cry yesterday out of frustration and then cried some more when my computer refused to turn on when I finally had the feeling to write smut, so VIOLA! Today I give you 4700 words of teasing smut.
> 
> (Like I said. I've had a REALLY rough few months.)
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little off with the way it's worded. I tried my best to make it sound like the other chapters, but my mind has really grown to hate me lately. The only thing that I have been able to do, is writing an angsty Adrigami fic in Kagami's POV called [I Loved You Then](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28114638), a Secret Santa gift [The Love You Give](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400034), and write the victorian AU called [Never in Haste](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28519302/chapters/69884127) based on Bridgertons (after binge-watching it all in one night).
> 
> I promise I am not giving this story up. Not for a long shot. But I did want to say it might take me a bit longer to get the chapters out in between. Just bear with me as I begin this new normal in my life. It's been quite an adjustment to say the least.
> 
> If you got through this! I applaud you and give you a delicious chocolate chip cookie 🍪 or Camembert 🧀if that's what you like best and thank you for your patience as I get through this hurdle.
> 
> 🖤 Coffee


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